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'' All power is given to Me m heaven and in earth. Going, there- 
fore, teach ye all nations: . . . teaching them to observe all 
things whatsoever I have commandecl you."— St. Matt, xxviii, 

18-20. 



FIFTV-TWO SHORT INSTRUCTIONS 



PRINCIPAL TRUTHS 



HOLY RELIGION. 



V . 



From the French by ^A> '^ 



Rev. THOMAS F. ../WARD, 

KKCTOR OF THE CHURCH OF ST. CHARLES BORROMEO, 
BROOKLYN, X. Y. 






BENZIGrKR t3ROXHER«, 

PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE. 

CINCINNATI : IReW ^0X\{ t CHICAGO : 

143 MAIN STREET. 36 & 38 BARCLAY STREET. 178 MONROE STREET, 

IS92. 




ITmprlmatur j 



^ John Loughlin, 

Bishop of Brooklyn, 



Nov. 4, 1891, Feast of St. Charles Borromeo. 



Copyright, 1892, by Benziger Brothers. 



INTRODUCTION/ 



I HAVE no lengthy plea to offer for the 
translation of these instructions. Well- 
nigh eighteen years in the practical exer- 
cise of the sacred ministry have convinced me 
that the average priest is a very busy man, and 
that he has need of all the available assistance 
he can find which will aid him in the success- 
ful completion of his work. After reading 
these instructions in the original French, and 
finding them eminently practical, I concluded 
to place them at the disposal of my brother 
priests, with the hope that they, also, would 
find them helpful and useful. The instruc- 
tions are short, each one occupying not more 
than fifteen minutes, and yet so full of sug- 
gestion that it may be easily developed into 
a solid, useful, and practical instruction of 
half an hour. St. Francis de Sales recom- 
mended short instructions ; if he lived to-day 
I think he would make his recommendation 
obligatory on his priests. These instructions 
are not only exact in doctrine, but most me- 

3 



4 lutroditctiori. 

thodical in construction. These characteris- 
tics must commend them especially. They 
contain but little more than a meditation — 
a mere outline; still, the variety of subjects 
treated and the orderly manner in which 
they are presented will render them useful 
to many a busy priest and religious. If they 
are read once or twice they will certainly 
afford the foundation of a practical instruc- 
tion or useful meditation. Moreover, there 
are many pious souls who feel the necessity 
of spending some days in the consideration of 
the "great truths." They have not the oppor- 
tunity of making a regular retreat with the 
assistance of a preacher. For such souls these 
little instructions may also prove useful. This 
has been my only thought ; and if these in- 
structions will prove as helpful for some others 
as they have been for me I will be fully com- 
pensated for the trouble of the translation. 

T. F. W. 



CONTENTS. 



INSTRUCTION PAGE 

I. — The Grace of a Mission, ... 9 

II. — The Grace OF A Retreat, . . .15 

III. — The Word of God, . . . .20 

IV. — Penance, 25 

V. — The End of Man, . . . .31 

VI. — The Immortality of the Soul, . . 36 

VII. — Excellence and Price of a Soul, . 40 

VIII. — Salvation, 44 

IX. — Religion Considered as a Law, . . 50 

X. — Sin with regard to God, . . .56 

XI. — Sin the Evil of Man, . . . .61 

XII.— Death, . . ' 66 

XIII. — Particular Judgment, . . .71 

XIV. — The Last Judgment and Sentence, . 'jd 

XV. — Penance as a Virtue, . . . .82 

XVL—Trials, . . . .^ . . . 87 

XVII. — Temptations, . . . . . 92 

XVIII. —Bad Books, 97 



Contents, 



INSTRUCTION 

XIX. — Human Respect, 
XX. — Conversion, 
XXL — Examination of Conscience, 
XXII. — Death of the Sinner, 
XXIIL— The Prodigal, . 
XXIV. — Firm Purpose of Amendment 
XXV. — Flight from Occasions of Sin 
XXVI. — The Law of Jesus Christ, 
XXVII. — Fidelity to Jesus Christ, 
XXVIII. — Love for Jesus, 
XXIX. — Imitation of Jesus, . 
XXX. — Pentecost, 
XXXI. — The Holy Name of Jesus, 
XXXII. — The Precious Blood of Our Lord, 
XXXIII. — The Sacred Heart of Jesus, 
XXXIV.— The Feast of St. Peter, 
XXXV.— The Feast of St. Joseph, 
XXXVL— The Feast of St. Stephen, 
XXXVII. —The Feast of St. Alovsius, 
XXXVIII.— Sanctity, .... 
XXXIX. — Propagation of the P'aith, 
XL. — The Holy Childhood, 
XLI. — The First Mass After Ordination 
XLII. — The Stations of the Cross, . 



PAGE 
103 

108 



. contents. 7 

INSTRUCTIOX PAGE 

233 



XLIII.— Good Works, .... 
XLIV. — Charity toward the Poor, 
XLV. — Forty Hours' Devotion, . 
XLVI. — \^isiTS TO THE Blessed Sacrament, 
XL VII. — Frequent Communion, 
XLVIIL — Authority of the Church, 
XLIX. — Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice, 
L. — Ends for which Mass is Offered, 
LI. — Assisting at Mass, 
LII. — Perseverance, .... 



238 

243 
248 

253 
258 
263 
268 

273 
279 



Fifty-two Sliort Instructions on the Prin- 
cipal Truths of our Holy Religion. 



INSTRUCTION I. 

THE GRACE OF A MISSION. 

"Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salva- 
tion." — II. Cor. vi. 2. 

GOD, in His infinite mercy, at all times, 
and in all places, and to all men, gives 
• • • the necessary grace to attain eternal 
salvation. Our Lord Jesus Christ has confided 
to His Church the means to conduct souls in 
the way of sanctification. He has also aft'orded 
the means to preserve them from the sad illu- 
sion of the world and to instruct them in the 
love and practice of what is good for their sal- 
vation. The Church, our good mother, speaks 
and instructs by the words of her ministers ; 
she purifies, strengthens, and vivifies by the 
divine virtues of her sacraments. She solicits 
and obtains Heaven's choicest blessings by 
prayer, and by the observance of God's law 
she regulates all the actions of our life. These 

9 



10 The Grace of a Mission. 

are the means which the Church daily employs, 
and they are for us the common, the ordinary 
way of salvation. But, in the designs of God, 
there are days, there are times, of extraordi- 
nary grace. During these days the just are 
strengthened in virtue, the slothful throw off 
their fatal lethargy, and sinners depart from 
their wicked ways. These days are the oc- 
casion of a mission — " Behold, now is the 
acceptable time." There are three thoughts 
which naturally suggest themselves at this 
time, and these thoughts will furnish us with a 
fruitful source of meditation, viz: what is a 
mission, for w^hom is the mission intended, 
and what should be our dispositions during 
the mission ? 

I. What is a mission? — A mission is the 
greatest blessing, the most signal favor that 
God can bestow on a parish, since it revivifies 
our faith, reanimates our Christian spirit, and 
causes our piety and religious practices to 
flourish abundantly. At the outset of the mis- 
sion our blessed Lord seems to say to the 
people who have this happiness accorded them : 
'' I am come that they may have life, and have 
it most abundantly." In fact, during the ex- 
ercises of a mission God seems to multiply all 
His most powerful aids to communicate spirit- 
ual life to souls. He invites, He calls, nay, 



The Grace of a Mission, ii 

He urges, all those sonls who are bowed down 
under the weight of sorrow to come to Him, 
Who alone can sustain them. " Come to Me 
all you that labor and are burdened, and I 
will refresh you." At this time frequent and 
fervent prayers will ascend to the throne of 
mercy and will be most efficacious, since they 
will ascend from the whole assembly, who are 
animated with but one heart, and one soul, and 
one desire. The word of God will be most 
abundantly distributed, and will have an espe- 
cial strength to correct, to encourage, and to 
instruct. A salutary change will be effected in 
the manners and life of all, while a general 
edification will exercise a sweet influence dur- 
ing those blessed days, and religion will be 
held in honor throughout the whole parish. 
You should especially appreciate the mission, 
since it will be for you a very particular privi- 
lege. How many countries, how many par- 
ishes are deprived of this blessing? God has 
not been so merciful to other people. He has 
not treated others with the sam^ amount of 
love and good-will. And yet, among those 
people there are souls who would be converted 
and who would return to God if He had pro- 
vided for them the extraordinary assistance 
of a mission. What powerful motives you 
have, therefore, to prompt you to profit by 



12 The Grace df a Mission. 

this great grace I Now, this favor is granted 
you, but you have no guarantee or assurance 
that you will ever receive this grace again. 
With the prophet we say to you : " If to-day 
you hear the voice of God, harden not your 
hearts." 

2. To ivlioui is it given ? — The mission or time 
of greatest grace is given to all without excep- 
tion. Just souls will find in these days of 
recollection, and prayer, and union with God 
a most favorable occasion to reanimate their 
piety and to put on their spiritual armor for 
the holy combat. Therefore it is that our 
blessed Saviour invited His disciples, from 
time to time, to rest in the quiet of retreat: 
" Come apart into a desert place and rest a 
little." Weary and tepid souls, the mission is 
necessary for you, that you may be healed from 
your spiritual infirmities and encouraged to 
engage generously in the service of God. 
Have the greatest care ! There can be no pos- 
sible alliance between Jesus and the world, 
and, however skilful you may be, you cannot 
serve two masters. " There is no one who 
can serve two masters." 

But it is for you particularly, sinners, you 
who are spiritually dead, that the grace of the 
mission is intended. It is at this propitious 
time, under the influence of God's grace, that 



The Grace of a Mission. 13 

all the wonders wrought by our blessed Sa- 
viour will be again reproduced. The bliiui will 
open their eyes to the truth, the splendor of 
which they have ignored until nov/. The lame 
will walk in the ways of the commandments, 
from which they have long since departed. 
The deaf will hear the voice of God, of the 
Church, and of conscience, and they will hence- 
forth listen most attentively. The lepers, 
covered with the stains of sin, guilty habits, 
and debasing passions, will now be purified, 
healed, and renewed in the salutary waters 
of penance. The dead ^N\\\ rise again; they 
who, like Lazarus, were buried in the sepulchre 
of sin, and who had already commenced to 
spread infection, will find a new life and w"ill 
be restored to those who mourned for them. 
In a word, all the members of this parish must 
strive to profit by the blessings of the mission. 
3. Dispositions. — St. Paul, speaking to the 
Corinthians, exhorts them " not to receive the 
grace of God in vain." You should, therefore, 
correspond to the grace of this mission by your 
constant attendance at all the exercises. It is 
for you, and for each one of you, that the holy 
sacrifice of the mass will be offered every 
morning, at which our divine Lord will make 
the most abundant application of His merits 
for you. For your spiritual welfare the medi- 



14 The Grace of a Mission, 

tatioiis will be given, as well as the conferences 
and sermons. Therefore all the exercises of 
the mission are of the first importance. You 
must bring to the mission a great docility of 
mind and heart, to put in practice the truths 
you will hear. The traveller will go astray if 
he does not follow the path or journey which 
is marked out for him. If the sick man wishes 
to be healed he must apply the remedies his 
physician prescribes. Generosity also must 
characterize your conduct during the mission 
and aid you to surmount the obstacles which 
might hinder you from attendance at the ex- 
ercises. During this holy time give to your 
material affairs and worldly interests a second- 
ary consideration, whatever they may be. Your 
generosity must also demand the prompt, the 
entire, and the irrevocable sacrifice of all that 
for you the subject or occasion of sin. 

A spirit of recollection and prayer is the abso- 
lute and necessary condition for the success of 
the mission. God cannot find a place in the 
heart which is disturbed and troubled and 
filled with solicitude for temporal affairs. Be- 
sides, we can do nothing without the assistance 
of God. ''Without Me you can do nothing," 
says our blessed Saviour. Now, this help and 
assistance is particularly the fruit of assiduous, 
humble, and persevering prayer. You will 



The Grace of a Retreat. 15 

pray, therefore, in union with our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ, in union with the count- 
less fervent souls who are interested in your 
success; then you may rest assured that the 
time of the mission will be indeed for you a 
time of mercy and salvation. 



INSTRUCTION II. 

THE GRACE OF A RETREAT. 

"And Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, and a great 
multitude followed Him, because they saw the m.iracles 
which He did on them that were diseased." — St. John 
vi. I, 2. 

THE astonishing and numerous miracles 
which our blessed Saviour wrought dur- 
• • • ing His earthly life Vv^ere for the poor 
and miserable. He gave sight to the blind, 
hearing to the deaf, health to the paralytics 
and the lepers, and even death was obliged to 
give back its victims at His word. It is, there- 
fore, not surprising, after so many miracles 
and blessings, to see the multitudes eagerly 
following the footsteps of the Saviour to be 
the witnesses of the wonders which He 
wrought. The arm of God is not shortened, 
nor has He exhausted the treasures of His 
mercy. Now, through the ministry of His 



1 6 The G7'ace of a Retreat. 

Church, which is the depositary of His author- 
ity and the treasury of His graces, He still 
heals the many maladies of men and gives 
spiritual health and life to their souls. To- 
day I wish to invite you to follow the foot- 
steps of our blessed Saviour. You will be 
not only the witnesses of His graces, but you 
will experience in yourselves the salutary ef- 
fects of His mercy and goodness. Yet, we are 
well aware, it is only in hearts which are 
well disposed that Jesus spreads out the treas- 
ures of His mercy. I wish to indicate the 
means you must employ to prepare your souls 
for the salutary influence of His grace. This 
means is a retreat. We will then consider, 
What is a retreat? its necessity, its advantages, 
and the dispositions it demands of us. 

I. WJiat is a retreat ? — The best idea which 
we can form of a retreat is contained in the 
words of our divine Saviour to His disciples: 
" Come apart in a desert place, and rest 
awhile." Come, — this is unquestionably an 
invitation on the part of our blessed Lord, our 
master, our model, to separate ourselves from 
our cares, our occupations, and our temporal 
concerns, to give ourselves wholly to that which 
regards our soul, our salvation, our eternity. 
The desert is a place of solitude, silence, 
recollectioUo We must seek this desert, this 



The Grace of a Retreat. 17 

solitude, if we would be alone with our God. 
Silence and recollection are necessary for the 
formation of great enterprises and serious 
labors. It is in silence that the merchants and 
the busy men of the world prepare their com- 
binations. The lawyer shuts himself up in 
his study to prepare for the vindication of his 
client. The author and the litterateur look for 
the calm and quiet of night for their profound 
and fruitful meditations. Are we not engaged 
in the realization of an inheritance wdiich will 
be secure from all vicissitudes? Have we not 
matters of the first importance to arrange? 
What scientist or savant has graver subjects 
of meditation than the Christian? The retreat 
is also a time of quiet and repose. The travel- 
ler, from time to time, interrupts his journey to 
recover from fatigue and gain new strength to 
reach his destination. The soldier, covered 
with the dust and sweat of battle, re-enters the 
camp to rest and readjust his arms. Their con- 
duct will serve as an illustration for our own. 
The retreat will not be of long duration ; we 
must, therefore, strive to profit by every 
moment of this precious occasion. 

2. Its necessity, — The retreat is indispensable 
since it is necessary for us to labor most 
earnestly for our eternal salvation. Let us 
answer the question, ''Must we be saved?" 



1 8 The Grace of a Retreat. 

Unquestionably. Yet if we would save our 
soul we must think of it, we must make it a 
matter of very serious consideration. We 
cannot rest satisfied with giving the matter a 
mere passing thought. Now, it is precisely 
during the retreat that our souls will be fully 
enlightened on this important matter, by 
means of the great truths which will be pre- 
sented for our serious consideration. Must 
we labor to gain the recompense of heaven ? 
Certainly. No one can reasonably expect re- 
ward who has not earned it. During the re- 
treat we will learn the most efficacious means 
to win the reward which is promised only to 
those who will have been worthy of it. The 
retreat is necessary for all: for the just, lest 
they should grow weary in well-doing ; for the 
slothful or careless, to awaken them from their 
dangerous torpor. It is particularly necessary 
for sinners, that they may abandon their sin- 
fulness and escape the threatened punishment 
of those who live and die at enmity with God. 
3. Advantages, — God multiplies His graces 
during the time of retreat. This grace will 
illumine souls readily to perceive the vanity, 
the utter worthlessness of human things, and 
the inestimable value of those things which 
are eternal. This grace will strengthen us to 
conquer every obstacle which hinders us in the 



The Grace of a Retreat. 19 

practice of virtue and will prompt good reso- 
lutions for the future. Frequent and fervent 
prayer offered in common will be powerful and 
efficacious. In fine, the sacraments received 
in fullest faith will have on our lives the most 
marked and lasting effects. The good example 
of others will serve to encourage us, and at the 
termination of the exercises w^e will experience 
the sweetest consolations. 

4. Dispositions. — God expects from us, during 
retreat, a perfect good-will to correspond with 
His inspirations. We must also be constant in 
attendance, putting aside all the pretexts which 
business, the world, or indifference may sug- 
gest. We must listen to the instructions with 
respect, sincerity, and docility. Moreover, 
after pious meditation we should make the 
application to ourselves personally. We must 
renounce all habits which are even question- 
able, not to say sinful, and at once begin the 
work of self -correction. In fine, we must 
bring to all the occupations of the day a great 
spirit of recollection and prayer. And then 
this retreat will be for you a benediction in 
time and eternity. 



20 The Word of God. 

INSTRUCTION III. 

THE WORD OF GOD. 

"Blessed is the man whom Thou shalt instruct, O 
Lord." — Ps. xciii. 12. 

ALL men have an inherent, instinctive de- 
sire to be happy. They seek happiness 
• ' ° everywhere, always, and by every means. 
This principle is universally admitted. Many 
new and important discoveries have been made, 
and science has progressed rapidly. We justly 
parade the advantages of instruction and edu- 
cation, and nothing has been neglected to 
render knowledge accessible to all. But to the 
question, "Where is true happiness, and how 
may we find it?" neither scientist nor philoso- 
pher has ever given a solution. God alone 
can give the answer, and He has done so by 
the mouth of His prophet-king : "' Blessed 
is the man whom Thou shalt instruct, O 
Lord.'* Strictly speaking, there is no one 
perfectly happy, except God and the saints 
whom He has crowned in heaven. The be- 
ginning of this unalterable happiness is found 
on earth, in religious instruction, and in the 
practice of God's word. It is this truth I wish 
to inculcate on this occasion, by indicating the 
motives which oblige you to be instructed in 



The Word of God, 21 

the science of God and by refuting the pre- 
texts which may be alleged for negligence of 
this duty. As Christians you have need of 
light, preservation, nourishment, strength, 
remedies, and security in your life on earth, 
and there are so many motives which should 
prompt you to esteem the word of God and 
religious instruction. 

You have need of: 

I. LigJit, to teach you what you should be- 
lieve and what you should ask of God. Man, 
by his own unaided efforts, can never attain 
to the knowledge of those things. He must 
be taught them. Therefore it is that our 
blessed Saviour has given the command to 
His apostles to go forth and instruct the na- 
tions. The command thus given includes 
for the faithful a positive obligation to hear 
their words and obey their teaching. 

" He who does not believe is already 
judged," says our divine Saviour. But faith, 
according to St. Paul, "comes from hearing.'* 
To faith you must unite its practice, for with- 
out this practice you have only a dead faith: 
"Without good works faith is dead." Be- 
sides, you must ask of God grace and assistance 
and the means to obtain them : " Every good 
and perfect gift is from above, descending 
from the Father of lights." 



2 2 The Word of God. 

Even if you possessed all this knowledge, 
still Christian instruction would be necessary 
for you, to be perfect in Christian life : '' He 
that is just, let him be still more justified." 

2. Preservation. — Being surrounded here on 
earth by all the seductions of the world the 
Christian has greatest need of a powerful pre- 
servative to escape the dangers which threaten 
him. Now, the doctrine of Jesus Christ 
teaches him that " the world and its concupis- 
cence pass away." The word of God is an 
intense fire which purifies the heart from all 
the dross of the earth. Behold how this 
divine word once transformed the heart of 
Magdalene, the Samaritan woman, and count- 
less others. 

3. NoitrisJiuiejit, — Our blessed Saviour as- 
sures us that man does not live by bread 
alone, but by every word which comes from 
the mouth of God. This divine bread is 
also meat and nourishment for all ages and 
for all conditions of men. Even as the body 
will quickly fail when deprived of nourish- 
ment, so, too, will the soul grow weak and 
die if not constantly sustained by its spiritual 
food. 

4. Strength, — When there is question of your 
eternal salvation and the conquest of true hap- 
piness you will stand in need of courage and 



The Word of God. 23 

strength. Just consider the conduct of the 
merchant. He will travel to the remotest 
countries and expose himself to dangers on 
sea and land, only to increase his wealth. The 
soldier, also — how he hastens to meet^ the 
enemy or leads in the assault, only to win fame 
or merit the badge of honor! Should not the 
Christian eagerly strive to attain a science 
which will assure him the possession of an 
eternal treasure and a throne of which he can- 
not be deprived ? 

5. Remedy. — In this world, as long as you 
live, the soul is exposed to a fatal malady, 
which is sin. Now, the means which you have 
to fly from sin and hate vice is to hear the 
word of God, which will remind you of your 
Christian duties. " The Lord, thy God, thou 
shalt adore, and Him only shalt thou serve." 
What more powerful remedy against sin can 
you have than the remembrance of those 
frightful punishments which sin merits for 
eternity ? " Their portion will be the pool of 
fire/' It is related in the Acts of the Apos- 
tles that on one occasion when St. Peter had 
preached to a great multitude their hearts were 
touched with compunction, and they said to 
Peter and the other apostles, ''What then shall 
we do?" Peter answered them, "Do pen- 
ance." Therefore, if you will hear the pious 



24 The Word of God. 

instructions of your pastor — the word of God 
— you will find in them a powerful and effica- 
cious remedy against sin. 

6. Security, — It is unquestionably a matter 
of supreme importance for a Christian to live 
securely, and still more important that he 
should die in the friendship and favor of God. 
The Christian who is instructed in his religion, 
and who is attentive to the word of God, un- 
derstands his origin, his destiny, and his duty. 
He can readily respond to the questions, 
Whence do you come? Whither do you go? 
What must you do? He does not fear the re- 
proach which was made against the Jews, that 
their conduct was inexcusable, because they 
did not wish to hear the voice of the Son of 
God. *' If I had not come and spoken to them 
they would not have sin, but now they have 
no excuse for their sin.'* At the dread tribu- 
nal of the Sovereign Judge the word of God 
will condemn those who would not hear and 
keep it. 

Therefore let us love to hear the word of 
God. This divine word will furnish you the 
only means to attain true happiness in time 
and eternity. 



Penance, 25 

INSTRUCTION IV. 

PENANCE. 

"Jesus began to preach and to say, Do penance." — St. 
Matt. iv. 17. 

AFTER having fasted during forty days 
in the desert, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
• • • Christ commenced the preaching of His 
Gospel. His first words were an exhortation 
to penance. His divine mission was the sal- 
vation of men ; and to accomplish this He 
gives to men the means of satisfying the justice 
of His Father, and of regaining their rights to 
eternal happiness, which they had forfeited by 
sin. Now, for the sinner who does not wish 
to perish eter^ially there remains but one 
means of gaining heaven, and that means is 
penance. Innocence is only the lot or condi- 
tion of a very small number. And in our own 
day, when men are ignorant, or lax, or indiffer- 
ent with regard to religious matters, where 
shall we look for those select souls who have 
preserved their baptismal innocence in all its 
pristine purity? Therefore, at the beginning 
of this holy time I think I could not suggest 
a truth for your consideration which will be 
more useful than Christian penance. My 
words will be but the feeble echo of so many 



26 Penance. 

powerful preachers whose words have re- 
sounded in your hearts. I wish, however, to 
convince you again of the absolute necessity 
of sincerely returning to God, and the neces- 
sity also of embracing the holy rigors of a 
penitential life. We will, then, consider the 
necessity, the benefits, and the qualities of 
penance. 

I. TJie necessity, — It is the very voice of God 
Himself which has promulgated the law of 
penance. Had He wished, He could have 
left guilty man under the heavy weight of his 
sin, and condemned him to eternal reprobation. 
But God has not so determined. He has, 
however, condemned him to expiate his faults 
by repentance and by the labors of penance. 
" In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy 
bread." ''Thou shalt die the death.'* Afflic- 
tion, tears, regret have always been the con- 
dition of pardon for sin. In this God has 
manifested mercy toward the sinner, toward 
His people, toward nations. 

The voice of St. John the Baptist, the pre- 
cursor of Our Lord, tells us the necessity of 
penance. '" I am the voice of one crying in 
the desert: Do penance." The Jews heard the 
words of St. John, and received baptism as a 
sign of their desire to live in the friendship of 
God. The voice of our blessed Saviour con- 



Penance. 27 

stantly calls us to penance. Not only His 
word, but also His example tells us how neces- 
sary it is. " I have not come to call the just, 
but sinners, to penance." He most explicitly 
declares that we must submit to penance or 
perish eternally. " Unless you do penance 
you will perish." 

The voice of the Church is also heard urging 
her children to this duty. The mission of 
the Church is to continue the work of her 
Founder, Jesus Christ, to the end of the earth, 
and to the end of time she invites nations and 
individuals to labor for their salvation by works 
of penance. What is the meaning of her 
prayers, her chants, her ceremonies, her orna- 
ments, especially during the time of Lent? 
They tell us clearly the necessity of sorrow 
and repentance and the duty of calling on God 
for mercy and forgiveness. 

The voice of conscience speaks to us by the 
fear and remorse which are felt when lying 
under the weight of sin. Never can the con- 
science be stilled unless by the acknowledg- 
ment of sin committed by repentance and 
satisfaction offered to .divine justice. 

It is the voice of Heaven. Hear the multi- 
tude of happy souls, who invite us to follow 
their footsteps and make the conquest of 
heaven. If there are many privileged souls 



28 Penance, 

who have attained supreme happiness by the 
pathway of innocence preserved, a still greater 
number owe their salvation to penance faith- 
fully performed. Magdalene and Augustine 
and many others furnish us with examples. 
" The violent bear it away." 

It is the voice of purgatory. What do the 
souls detained in purgatory teach us, if not 
the necessity of satisfying the justice of God 
by a rigorous penance in this world, if we 
would gain heaven, "where nothing defiled 
can enter"? Whatever may be the punish 
ments which we impose on ourselves here 
on earth, they are not at all comparable to 
the suffering which the souls in purgatory 
endure. 

It is the voice of hell. From the depths of 
the dread abyss the sinful rich man sends 
forth the heart-rending cry, '' I am tormented 
in these flames." Now indeed he does pen- 
ance for his pride, his high living, his guilty 
pleasures; but it is a penance which is too 
late; it is eternal, it is useless. 

2. Benefits, — To these eloquent voices which 
invite us to do penance we may add the 
blessings we receive for the past, present, and 
future. What a blessing for the past! We 
have received the pardon of our sins ! However 
great or numerous may have been the failings 



Penance. 29 

of the past, if we sincerely humble ourselves 
before God, if we make a sincere avowal of 
our sinfulness,, we shall surely be pardoned. 
God has pledged His sacred word He says: 
' If the sinner will be converted, and will re- 
turn, I will remember his sin no more. I 
will cast his iniquities away, as far as the east 
is from the west; I will bury them in the 
depths of the sea/* 

Surely, when one has had the misfortune to 
offend God, to revolt against Him, to lose His 
grace and His love, and thereby incur the rigor 
of His justice, this must be a subject of sad 
remembrance during life. How can he abstain 
from shedding bitterest tears, day and night, 
as David and Magdalene and Peter and so 
many other illustrious penitents did, who never 
ceased to weep for their sins ? The holy Spirit 
of God warns us, '* Be not without fear for sin 
forgiven/' This fear is most salutary for 
every sinner. Still, if God wishes that we 
should never forget the memory of our faults, 
that we may always have them before our eyes, 
a subject of deepest humility, He, however, for- 
gets them so completely that they die to Him, 
as if they had never been committed. 

For the present time penance will always 
afford us a permanent peace of mind. The 
dispositions in which we are, to appease God 



30 Penance. 

and expiate our sins, cannot exist without a 
good will on our part, and it is to that good 
will that peace has been promised, "Peace 
on earth to men of good will." For the future 
penance is a safeguard, a rampart, and a 
preservation against every danger of relapsing 
into sin. It obtains for us from God the 
strength, the courage, and the energy which 
are so necessary to combat successfully against 
our enemies. 

3. Qualities, — Provided our penance be sin- 
cere, we will find in its practice all these 
advantages. We can recognize its sincerity 
if it begins by a reformation of the heart. 
" Rend your hearts and not your vestments. '' 
Our flowing tears, and deepest sighs, and even 
the crucifixion of our bodies — all will not avail 
us if we do not change our will. Sin has 
been committed by the will ; it is our will 
which must do penance. Penance will be 
worthy or suitable if it is in proportion to the 
nature and gravity of the sin committed. 
While preaching penance the holy Precursor 
recommends to bring forth worthy fruits of 
penance. These fruits principally consist of 
prayer, fasting, alms, and the practice of other 
good works. Let our penance, in fine, be 
persevering. Even though it were not neces- 
sary for the expiation of our sins, still pen- 



The End of Man. 31 

ance will be useful for the increase of our 
merits in life eternal. What will be the long- 
est life passed in penance when compared 
with the happiness which will be our immut- 
able recompense ? 



INSTRUCTION V. 

THE END OF MAN. 
"Lord, make me know my end." — Ps. xxxviii. 5. 

THIS is the prayer which the great prophet- 
king addressed to God. In the midst of 
• • • the splendors of his court and the solici- 
tudes of his kingdom a most serious question 
preoccupied him — to know what was truly 
his end in life, or rather why God his Creator 
had given him existence and life. In the 
midst of the perpetual agitation which sur- 
rounds us we must not lose sight of this mo- 
mentous thought — the end of our existence. 
Our dearest and best interests in this life and 
in the next depend largely on the solution of 
this question, why God has given us existence. 
To understand our destiny there are some 
truths which we should take to heart and pon- 
der well: that Ave come from God, that our 
whole life must tend toward God, and that we 
must one day return to Him. 



32 The End of Man. 

I. We come from God. — The Lord asks of 
His servant Job, " Where wert thou when I 
placed the foundations of the earth?" In my 
turn I also ask you, where were you fifty or 
one hundred years ago? The world existed 
with its states and empires and cities. But 
where were you? You had no existence. 
Who, then, has given you life and being? Was 
it chance? There is no such thing as chance. 
And, even if there w^ere, chance can neither 
fashion the flower which blooms, nor the bird 
which sings, and, for a still greater reason, 
chance cannot make man, w^ho thinks. Will 
you say that you have made yourselves? But 
how can nothingness be the cause of being? 
We must, therefore, find our origin in God, 
and proclaim our great Creator in the words of 
the psalmist, " Thy hand, O Lord, has made 
and formed me." Our creation is an act of 
purest liberality and love on the part of God. 
He had no need of us and was perfectly happy 
in Himself. However, through love. He has 
thought of us from all eternity. " I have loved 
you with a perpetual love." His was a love of 
preference, since He has placed us in the num- 
ber of His creatures whom He has made to 
His own image and likeness. It is a persever- 
ing love, since He preserves us constantly, and 



The End of Man. 33 

we realize that without His sustaining hand 
we would fall into nothingness. 

2. We must tend toward God, — If God has cre- 
ated us we belong to Him and He is our Mas- 
ter. The master has a strict right over his 
servants. The king has a right to demand 
obedience from his subjects. What is more 
just than that children should be submissive 
and respectful toward their father? A work- 
man has the right to dispose of his work just 
as he pleases. Assuming that these principles 
are correct, their application is easy. We are 
the creatures of God. We belong to Him 
more than the servant belongs to his master, 
or the subject to his king, or the child to his 
father. We are the property of God, more 
than the picture is the property of the painter, 
or the tree is the property of him who planted 
it. All the rights which man has over his own 
work God possesses over His creatures in a 
more eminent degree, and by titles which are 
more sacred. All that we have, all that we 
are, we hold from God. St. Paul sums up the 
matter in a single question, "What have we 
that we have not received? " 

We, therefore, belong to God necessarily, and 
there is nothing which can withdraw us from 
His dominion. We belong to Him only, and 
3 



34 The Eiid of Man, 

we must be submissive to Him in the person 
of natural superiors, religious or civil. We 
belong to Him wliolly: body and soul, talents 
and goods are His. Infancy, mature years, 
and old age are His. We belong to Him ir- 
resistibly. We may withdraw our allegiance 
from men, but from God never. Willingly 
or unwillingly, we must live under His domin- 
ion in this world or submit to the rigors of His 
justice in the world to come. 

3. God is our last end, — God has created all 
things for His own glory. Man, as all other 
created things, must, therefore, give God, the 
Creator, all honor and glory. The child at 
catechism answers: "God has created me to 
know and love and serve Him in this world, 
and thereby acquire life eternal." We know 
God by seeing Him in His works, by hearing 
His words. We love Him as the Being sov- 
ereignly good and beautiful. We serve Him 
by fulfilling His precepts, by submitting our- 
selves to His adorable will in all things, and by 
these means we may reasonably hope to pos- 
sess Him eternally. Oh, how great and sub- 
lime is the destiny of man, to be called to see 
and love and possess God in heaven eter- 
nally! God gives us this assurance by His 
own sacred word : '' I Myself will be thy re- 



The End of Alan. 35 

ward, exceeding great." And why has God 
sent His own beloved Son on earth ? To lead 
us to our eternal destiny. One day the Man- 
God will say: "Come, ye blessed of My Fa- 
ther, possess the kingdom which has been 
prepared for you from the beginning of the 
world." 

We understand, therefore, that we have in 
this world no other end than to glorify God 
by the good use of our intelligence, our heart, 
our will, our mind, our goods, and then to 
possess Him eternally in heaven. This is 
our whole duty, and we cannot propose for 
ourselves any other end than that which God 
Himself has marked out for us. This is our 
only greatness. We are not made for earth, 
but for heaven ; we are not made for man, but 
for God; we are not made for time, but for 
eternity. This is our only happiness. In fact, 
what greater happiness can we conceive than 
to serve a master who wishes to give us no 
other pledge, no other recompense than Him- 
self? " I will be thy reward, exceeding great. " 
Therefore let us serve Him faithfully, and 
then we may hope to possess Him eternally. 



36 The I 7117)107' tality of the Soul. 

INSTRUCTION VI. 

THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. 

"God created man incorruptible." — Wisdom ii. 23. 

THE immortality of the soul," says Pascal, 
"is a matter which so intimately and 
• • • so profoundly concerns us that we must 
have utterly lost our feeling to be altogether 
cold and remiss in our inquiries concerning 
it. All our actions, all our designs, all our 
thoughts should take different ways, accord- 
ing as there are eternal goods to be hoped for 
or not; and it is impossible for us to proceed 
with judgment in our lives unless we keep 
this point in view, which should be our only 
object." To speak to you of the immortality 
of the soul is to present to your meditation a 
truth of the first importance. Therefore we 
will consider the nature of the soul, the inti- 
mate sense, the desire of happiness, the au- 
thority of the human race, and the teachings 
of faith. These we consider as so many proofs 
which establish the truth of the immortality 
of the soul. 

I. The naUire of the soul, — What is the soul? 
It is a pure spirit, created in the image of God, 
and will never die. If we cannot understand 



The Immortality of the Soul. 37 

what is a pure spirit at least we know and un- 
derstand what it is not. Essentially distinct 
from matter, the soul has its own existence, 
which is manifested by the faculty of thinking, 
judging, willing, and speaking. At death the 
body is dissolved, but not a single atom of 
which it is composed is annihilated. But the 
soul, the noblest part of man, the soul, which 
is simple, and cannot be subjected to decom- 
position as is the body, will it not survive? 
If not, where is the goodness, the wisdom, the 
justice, and the omnipotence of God? 

2. The intimate sense, — Let us ask ourselves 
why this secret and unconquerable desire which 
we have to survive ? The soldier, the learned, 
even the simple laborer, all have the conviction 
that they will not die forever. The very idea 
which we have of immortality proves its real- 
ity, because it is impossible to have the idea 
of that which does not exist. This belief is 
universal. Peoples both ancient and modern, 
civilized and barbarous, pagans as well as 
Christians, are unanimous on this matter. The 
handful of modern free-thinkers and their 
foolish and extravagant notions are not worthy 
of the consideration of reasonable men. 

3. The desire of happiness. — Every man feels 
within himself the unconquerable desire for 
happiness. Even the man who is without 



38 The Iimnortality of the Soul. 

faith seeks his happiness in the goods of the 
present life. The Christian man renounces 
that which is transitory and clings to all that 
which is permanent and lasting. Both strive 
after happiness. They both hunger and 
thirst after happiness. Is happiness, there- 
fore, only an illusion and a deceit? Experience 
proves that there is nothing here on earth 
which can fill the immense void of our hearts; 
neither riches, nor pleasures, nor exalted posi- 
tion will satisfy this craving, longing desire 
for happiness. The heart needs that which is 
infinite, immeasurable, immutable. The con- 
clusion is evident: there is another life in 
which this desire will be perfectly satisfied. 

4. Tlie authority of the hitman race, — It is a 
fact, which is attested by history, that all the 
people of the world have believed in the im- 
mortality of the soul. Plato, the renowned 
philosopher, wrote a book on this belief, and 
Cato, after reading the book, committed sui- 
cide that he might enter into this immortality 
quickly. The great Cyrus when dying said 
to his children : " Do not think that when 
I depart from this life I will be dead for- 
ever; I will continue to live.'* I could add 
countless testimony on this matter which 
would irresistibly prove the belief in the im- 
mortality of the soul. And what shall we say 



The Immort.ility of the Soul. 39 

of the respect which all have shown for the 
dead? The pompous funeral ceremonies, the 
superb mausoleums, the sacrifices offered on 
their tombs, the process of embalming among 
the Egyptians conclusively attest their faith 
in a future life. 

5 . The authority of faith. — The bible is a book 
which is at once the most ancient, the most 
authentic, the most reliable of all books. This 
book contains, by divine authority, our origin, 
our titles, and our destiny. On the very first 
page we read the words of God Himself in cre- 
ating man : " Let us make man to our own 
image and likeness." Now, this likeness is 
in our soul. If our soul should be like to God, 
it must be a spiritual, intelligent, and immor- 
tal being. All the dogmas of religion pre- 
suppose the immortality of the soul. Why 
the incarnation and redemption, the general 
judgment, the recompense of paradise, the 
pains of hell, the prayers for the departed? 
It is because at death all is not at an end for 
man. What a consoling truth for the humble 
and the poor of earth! O truth, worthy of 
a God infinitely good, just, and merciful ! The 
joys, and the magnificence, and the splendors 
of paradise will be the eternal recompense of 
our fidelity while here on earth. 



40 Excellence and Price of a Soul. 

INSTRUCTION VII. 

EXCELLENCE AND PRICE OF A SOUL. 

"The wise man is wise to his own soul." — Ecclus. 
XXX vii. 25. 

THE man who is truly wise in this world 
is not he who displays skilfulness in ac- 
• • • cumulating great riches, or who is reputed 
wealthy ; but he is truly wise who strives to 
attain the noble and eternal destinies of his 
soul, who thinks of nothing and speaks of 
nothing, or undertakes no enterprise, which 
does not tend to his eternal salvation. In fact 
the truly wise man is he who is wise for his 
own soul. It is unquestionably true that 
there is nothing more grand, nothing more 
precious than the immortal soul. To convince 
you of this truth we will consider the nature 
of the soul, its titles, the price of its redemp- 
tion, and the estimate which the saints have 
had for their souls. 

I. Its nature, — God is the creator of our 
souls. But before creating them the three 
persons of the adorable Trinity seem to have 
prepared themselves for the creation of this 
masterpiece of their omnipotence. The sim- 
ple fiat which was employed in their other 
creative works will not now suffice when they 



Excellence and Price of a Soul. 41 

intend to create the soul of man. Now the 
three divine persons act in concert. They say, 
" Let lis make man. " They have contemplated 
their own infinite perfections, and they have 
decided to retrace their image in man. " Let 
us make man to our own image and likeness." 
At once man is exalted to the honor of being 
like to his Creator in this threefold similitude : 

a, God is a pure spirit ; so, too, is the soul of 
man. That is to say, it is simple, one, indi- 
visible, and superior to all that is material. 
What a sublime prerogative of our soul ! We 
can never fully understand this privilege, 
while we are slaves to the senses here below. 

b, God is intelligence, love, has free will, 
and is independent. Like to its divine 
image, the soul of man is manifested by its 
power of thought. God is love, and this is 
also an especial character of the soul. See 
what noble sentiments you will find in the 
heart of an apostle! He is prepared for any 
sacrifice. For him death has no terrors. To 
prove his love he would gladly give up his life. 
See what generosity of soul you will find in 
the young girl who cheerfully abandons home, 
parents, friends, everything, to vow her life 
to the service of God and His Church. See, 
too, the conduct of the Christian mother, and 
mark how great is the love which she has for 



42 Excellence and Price of a Soul. 

her children ! The soul deliberates, deter- 
mines, acts. There are no obstacles it may 
not overcome. What wonders may it not ac- 
complish, especially when it is assisted by 
God ! The body may become the slave of man, 
and it may be bound in chains and cast into 
prison. But the soul — never. It is free. 
True, indeed, it may commit sin and thereby 
become a captive, a slave, but even then it 
still retains the will to break the chains that 
bind it. c, God is eternal, as reason and faith 
fully demonstrate. Here again the soul is the 
image of God. The soul of man, it is true, 
has had a beginning, but it w^ill never die. 
The great Creator has given us this assurance : 
" God has created man incorruptible, and to 
the image of His own likeness He has made 
him." For every soul there are eternal re- 
wards if it is faithful, or there are chastise- 
ments without end eternally to punish its sin- 
fulness. This is the teaching of the Catholic 
Church, the belief of all peoples. 

2. Tlie titles which have been given to the 
soul admirably reveal its excellence. At one 
time it is called the beloved daughter of the 
Father. Again it is called the sister, the co- 
heir of Jesus Christ, and His friend : " I will 
not call you My servants, but My friends." 
The soul is the spouse of the Holy Ghost, 



Excellence and P7'ice of a Soul, 43 

His temple of predilection. In fine, it is called 
a queen, for whom God has destined a throne 
for all eternity. 

3. The price of redemption, — To redeem this 
soul God has given a ransom which is no less 
than His own beloved Son. ''God has so 
loved the world that He has given His own 
beloved Son.*' Jesus Christ has made the con- 
quest of souls at the price of His incarnation, 
His labors. His sufferings. His passion, and His 
blood. Therefore St. Paul exclaims: "You 
have been purchased at a great price." And 
why is the Man-God a captive in our taber- 
nacle? It is only to gain possession of our 
souls that He remains with us a victim of His 
love. And what is the mission of the Church, 
assisted by the Holy Spirit of God? This 
Church, established by our blessed Lord, 
teaches, and prays, and sighs, and combats 
constantly, with but one object in view — the 
salvation of souls ! Contemplating these truths 
we can understand the exclamation of St. 
Augustine: ''O soul of man, how precious 
indeed thou art!" 

4. The estimate which the saints have had for 
their souls, — Let us now ask of those truly great 
and wise men, whom we call saints, what 
was the esteem they had for their souls. 
From the depths of the solitudes, as well as 



44 Salvation. 

from the midst of the busy world, in grandeur 
or in humiliation, in abundance or in poverty, 
in joy as well as in sufferings, they will one 
and all answer in the words of the divine 
Master: '' What doth it profit a man if he gain 
the whole world and suffer the loss of his 
own soul?" This is the only reason of their 
prayers, their labors, their tears, their pen- 
ances, and their perseverance in the accom- 
plishment of good works. After their ex- 
ample, we should learn the excellence and 
the price of our souls, and leave nothing un- 
done to save them. Unquestionably, we have 
a serious and important work to perform. It 
will cost us considerable labor and anxiety. 
We must combat constantly and do violence 
to ourselves, but the saints will show us what 
brilliant crowns await the conquerors. 



INSTRUCTION VIII. 

SALVATION. 

**What cloth it profit a man if he gain the whole world 
and suffer the loss of his own soul? '* — St. Matt, xvi.26. 

FOR the greater part of men, in what does 
life consist? Is it not, as St. Augustine 
• • • says, " in calculating the chances of gain or 
loss '* ? In striving to make a fortune quickly? 
In seeking honors and lucrative positions? In 



Salvation. 45 

placing under the safeguard of insurance com- 
panies their money, their houses, and even 
their life ? Among so many interests there is 
one, the greatest, the dearest, the most nec- 
essary, which is completely forgotten — their 
eternal salvation. Contemplating the alterna- 
tive of unmeasured happiness or endless sor- 
row, the purest and holiest souls have trembled. 
Their fears and trembling have increased my 
terror when considering the sad security of so 
many sinners, who are daily and hourly sacrific- 
ing their souls to the sinful and transitory 
pleasures of earth. Candidly, where are they 
who think seriously of their soul's salvation? 
Even you, my hearers, do you think of your 
salvation ? Do you labor to obtain it ? 

I do not hesitate to say that the man who la- 
bors for the salvation of his soul, and who gives 
this work precedence over all other affairs, is 
truly the wisest, the greatest, and the happiest 
of men. 

I. The ivisest of men. — He is most wise in the 
clioice which he makes. In fact, of what is 
there question? There is question of neither 
more or less than heaven or hell for all eter- 
nity ; to be satiated with the delights of par- 
adise with God or tortured by punishments 
with the demon; to gain treasures which will 
be secured from destruction and robbers or to 



46 Salvation, 

be contented with perishable riches and taste- 
less and ephemeral pleasures; to reign with 
the King of kings or to be the slave of the 
vilest tyrant. This is the question to be 
solved. Then, I ask, is not he who chooses 
God, heaven, things which are durable, and 
eternal life, the wisest of men? It is true wis- 
dom, therefore, to give to our salvation the 
importance which it merits. The care of our 
eternal salvation is the only business of life 
which we may call necessary, A man may 
neglect to accumulate a fortune, or be indif- 
ferent with regard to business interests or 
reputation, but he can never afford to be neg- 
ligent of his salvation. Never. It is a matter 
to which he must /rr^-^?;/ <?//;/ attend. He can- 
not delegate this work to some other person. 
He may confide the care of his health to a 
physician, he can place his law-suit in the 
hands of his advocate or attorney to defend 
for him, he may call upon his confidential man- 
ager to conduct his business interests. But 
when there is question of the salvation of his 
soul it is impossible to transfer this work to 
other hands. Each and every man must ac- 
complish this work for himself. It is also a 
matter which is urgent and admits of no de- 
lay or postponement, and should it be neg- 
lected the loss is irreparable: " Time will be 



Salvation, 47 

no more/* Should this work be badly done 
there will be no time to begin again. To per- 
ish once is to perish forever. He is not only 
wise in his choice who labors for his salvation, 
he is also wise in the counsels which he follows. 
He listens to the voice of Jesus, Who has said, 
"One thing alone is necessary,'* and that is to 
serve God in this world and to possess Him 
eternally in the next. " What shall a man give 
in exchange for his soul ?'* " What doth it profit 
a man ? ' * What will it profit him to gain wealth , 
to occupy positions of trust and emolument, to 
taste every pleasure — yes, even if he were 
master of the universe, should he, after all, 
lose his soul for eternity? The truly wise 
man hears the Church, whose only mission on 
earth is to save souls. He hears the saints, 
who, by their example, show him that true 
wisdom consists in saving his soul for eternity. 
2. The greatest of men. — The Christian who 
makes the matter of his salvation his only 
business in life is also the greatest among 
men. He is greatest in the end which he pro- 
poses. We admire, in the world, the bold 
navigator, who courageously goes forth to the 
discovery of some unknown land. We admire 
the valorous soldier who has made many con- 
quests, and the learned man who by his labor- 
ious and persevering researches has attained 



48 Salvation, 

the limits of science. How much greater 
still, and worthy of eulogy, is the man, no mat- 
ter whether he is rich or poor, learned or ig- 
norant, according to the world, who bravely 
battles for the conquest of heaven? He is 
also greatest in the difficulties which he must 
overcome. Our blessed Saviour has proclaimed 
that heaven can be the inheritance only of 
those heroes who know how to do violence to 
themselves. It is indeed something grand and 
beautiful and extraordinary, to do violence to 
men, to tame the popular passions, to dom- 
inate over the mob, to conquer countries and 
to take possession of their citadels. But there 
is yet something more marvellous still and 
even more rare. It is to do violence to one's 
self, to tame the passions and to conquer 
pride. This is precisely the triumph of the 
Christian, who seeks his salvation before all 
things. He is also great in the models he has 
chosen to imitate. There is no question of 
rivalling the glory of an Alexander, a C^sar, 
or a Napoleon. There is question of surpass- 
ing them, by walking in the footsteps of a St. 
Peter, a St. Paul, and all the other heroes of 
Christianity. His model by excellence is Jesus 
Christ, the Man-God, who by His doctrines and 
examples has come on earth to open to men 
the glorious way of salvation. 



Salvation. 49 

3. The happiest man, — The world will, no 
doubt, admit that there is some greatness in 
the man who renounces earth to gain heaven. 
But the world cannot comprehend how the 
Christian, who places the salvation of his soul 
before all things, can be the happiest of men. 
Our blessed Saviour, however, gives us the 
proof that it is even so. He tells us: 
" Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the king- 
dom of heaven. Blessed are the meek. 
Blessed are they who mourn. Blessed are 
they who hunger and thirst after justice. 
Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the 
pure of heart. Blessed are the peaceful. 
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for 
justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
The experience of all time is the confirmation 
of these divine words. And are not those 
chosen souls happy, even in this world, who pre- 
serve peace with God, their neighbor, and them- 
selves? Speak, ye who are voluntarily poor 
for Christ's sake. Speak, ye angels of charity, 
who minister to the sick in their wretched 
homes. Speak, ye messengers of God, who 
bring glad tidings to those who weep and 
suffer; tell us, is there anything on earth want- 
ing to your happiness? Ah, they have medi- 
tated and understood the words of true wis- 
dom : " What doth it profit a man if he gain the 
4 



50 Religio7i Considered as a Law. 

whole world and suffer the loss of his own 
soul?" I leave you to meditate also on this 
great truth, and may God grant that you will 
take the firm resolution to labor promptly and 
efficaciously for the salvation of your soul. 
This will be for you completest happiness in 
time and the reasonable hope of happiness in 
eternity. 

INSTRUCTION IX. 

RELIGION CONSIDERED AS A LAW. 

'*By Thy ordinance the day goeth on: for all things 
serve Thee." — Ps. cxviii.91. 

GOD, the infinite power and sovereign wis- 
dom, has created all things, and has im- 
• • ' posed on them laws which are conformable 
to their nature. It is in accordance with these 
laws, which are full of magnificence and har- 
mony, that the heavens proclaim the glory of 
the Creator. '' The heavens show forth the 
glory of God, and the firmament declareth the 
work of His hands." Man also has received a 
law, according to w^hich he must render to God 
the honor and glory which belong to Him. 
This law is religion, and it is at once an indi- 
vidual and a social law. For man, considered 
individually, religion is a holy, sure, perfect, 
and efficacious law, while for society religion 



Religion Considered as a Law. 51 

is a most righteous, necessary, and advan- 
tageous law for all. We will, therefore, con- 
sider this divine law in its relations to man 
and to society. 

I. Wit It regard to man, — We have already 
declared that for the individual religion is the 
most august and holiest of laws. Who, in 
fact, is the legislator ? It is God, Who is sanctity 
itself, and in Whom are found all perfections : 
truth, science, wisdom, justice and goodness. 
And what are the duties which this law im- 
poses? It imposes on us the obligation of 
honoring, loving, blessing, thanking, and serv- 
ing God. ^^The Lord thy God thou shalt 
adore, and Him only shalt thou serve." This 
law prescribes for us all the virtues, as so many 
means to elevate us even to the perfection of 
God. " Be ye, therefore, perfect, as your 
heavenly Father is perfect." It is a law of 
charity, of love, of fraternity toward our neigh- 
bor. It imposes respect for the life, the 
honor, and the property of others, and forbids 
all that which may be injurious to our neigh- 
bor. It imposes the duty of treating ourselves 
with the greatest reverence in our soul and 
body, since we do not belong to ourselves, but 
are dependent for everything on God, our only 
and sovereign master. Religion is a sure law. 
It comes from God, Who cannot be deceived, 



52 Religion Considered as a Law. 

and Who cannot deceive us in the precepts 
which He lias marked out for our observance : 
"God is just and His judgments are right.'* 
In following this law our intelligence is as- 
sured that we embrace truth only ; error and 
doubt are impossible. Our will has the cer- 
tainty of being attached to the sovereign good 
only. Whatever this divine law presents to 
us as good is really good; what it presents 
as beautiful is really beautiful; what it pre- 
scribes for us as just and holy is indeed justice 
and sanctity. In following this law we are 
not in danger of wandering or of being lost 
during the journey of life, for the law of God is 
a light which enlightens and guides our every 
footstep. Religion is a perfect law. Human 
laws, even the wisest of them, can only affect 
our external acts, while religion influences the 
actions of man, even the profoundest secrets of 
his soul. It is the rule of his thoughts, since 
it not only forbids evil, but it interdicts even 
the desire of evil. It is the rule of his words, 
as it will not allow him to use the gift of 
speech, except in the cause of truth, charity, 
and justice ; and even the divine Legislator 
declares that He will require a strict account 
of every useless v;ord. 

Religion, in fine, is a law which is at once 
pozverfitl and efficacious. The sanction of the 



Religion Considered as a Law. 53 

law rests on incomparable foundations. On 
the one side there is the assured recompense 
for faithful accomplishment; on the other hand 
are the inevitable and eternal chastisements 
reserved for contempt or neglect of the law. 
And what legislator could better provide for 
the execution of his laws? For whatever is 
painful or difficult, for victory over concupis- 
cence, the seductions of the world, or the sug- 
gestions of the demon, there are unspeakable 
joys, torrents of delight, pleasures without 
end. To punish the transgressors of the most 
holy and just and beneficent laws there are 
eternal torments, endless sorrow and remorse. 
2. With regard to society, — Religion is also a 
social law. As a social being, a member of 
society, man must submit to the laws which 
religion prescribes. If man, taken individu- 
ally, is dependent on God, by w^hat strange 
reasoning could any one say that society, 
which is an assemblage of individuals, is free 
from the observance of religion? In fact, God 
has not left human society independent of His 
sovereign authority. He is called the God of 
armies, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. 
As such He has a right to the homage of the 
societies bearing arms, or united under the 
sceptres of kings, or ranged under the author- 
ity of any lord or chief whatever. Sacred 



54 Religion Considered as a Law. 

history attests that God has chosen a people 
to preserve the true religion in the world. 
There was, among those people, a public wor- 
ship and public ceremonies. Religion was the 
very foundation of its social constitution. Pro- 
fane history assures us that all the people of 
the world believe in religion, and this is so 
true that society could not subsist without this 
fundamental law. In our own day, however, 
there are some who foolishly speak of the de- 
struction of religion. Do they not see that 
they are senseless ? because there is no greater 
folly than to attack the very nature of man 
and the essence of society. As well might 
they endeavor to change the course of the sun 
and the stars. What greater crime can we 
conceive than to brave the authority, the 
power, and the wisdom of God? What greater 
misfortune could befall us than to live as 
beasts, and at death to have no other pros- 
pect than annihilation or hell ? To deny the 
existence of God is to annihilate Him. Even 
if some impious and unbelieving men should 
take away religion, their act will not change 
the dogmas or precepts of religion. The law 
still remains with its immutable sanctions. 

There are indeed some ignorant and impious 
men who dare to say that religion is of no use but 
for the common people. This is nothing short 



Religion Considered as a Law. 55 

of glaring falsehood and blasphemy, which 
would have us understand that God obliges 
only the poor, the little, and toilers to serve 
Him, while He allows the rich and the learned 
the liberty of thinking, speaking, and writing, 
and of living according to the desires of their 
nature. Yes, religion is good for all. But it 
is excellent, sweet, merciful, and consoling 
especially for the poor. It proclaims them 
blessed: *' Blessed are the poor/' And it is 
also good and necessary for the rich and power- 
ful to repress their pride, to tame their pas- 
sions, and to put a check upon their greed for 
gain, under the penalty of an eternal anathema : 
" Woe to you rich !" 

Religion is indispensable for the poor, to 
soothe their privations and their miseries, to 
hold out the recompense promised to their 
patience and resignation. It is indispensable 
for the rich, to render them merciful and com- 
passionate toward the poor and forsaken, to 
bring to their minds that there are other treas- 
ures to seek for besides the goods of the world. 
It is indispensable for society, to render 
paternal the authority of those who command, 
and to render filial the submission of those 
who obey. We can say of religion that it con- 
tains all the promises of the present }i:fe and 
the life beyond the grave. 



56 Sin 7vith Regaj^d to God. 

INSTRUCTION X. 

SIN WITH REGARD TO GOD. 

"Know and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing for 
thee to have left the Lord thy God." — Jerem. ii.ig. 

IT is certainly sufficient for us to consult the 
light of our reason and our faith to be con- 
• • vinced that the greatest misfortune which 
can happen to us in this world is to offend 
God. To lose fortune or reputation or health, 
aye, even life itself, is assuredly the occasion 
of great sorrow. But, properly speaking, 
these are not evils, because we can refer all 
these circumstances to the glory of God, and 
thereby find our merit for eternity. But we 
can truly say that sin is the evil, the only evil; 
for while it robs God of His glory it casts man 
into the abyss of every sorrow, and it is alone 
the great obstacle to our eternal destiny. Ah, 
let us understand well what sin is with regard 
to God. St. Augustine defines it " the aversion 
of the will from unchangeable good and the 
unlawful conversion to the creature." Sin is, 
therefore, an unjust preference, which on the 
part of the sinner contains a senseless revolt, 
a black ingratitude, and a formal contempt. 

I. A senseless revolt. — Let us ask, w^hat does 
that man do who is guilty of disobedience 



Sin with Regard to God. 57 

toward God, and who thereby commits a mortal 
sin ? At once he puts himself in contradiction 
with the whole universe. Is it not true that 
everything on earth is obedient to God, and 
obeys wath most admirable harmony? In 
heaven the angels are ever zealous in fulfilling 
the orders of God and hence their name, which 
signifies messengers. The sun and the stars 
keep the place in the firmament which has 
been assigned them, and never depart from it. 
The sea does not encroach a particle beyond 
the limits marked out for it. " Hitherto thou 
shalt come and no farther; here thou shalt 
break thy swelling waves." The earth con- 
tinues to produce the trees and plants which 
God, in the beginning, ordered it to produce. 
In a word, all the creative works of God recog- 
nize His sovereign domain. Yet, in the midst 
of this magnificent concert one discordant 
voice is heard. It is the voice of the sinner: 
*' I will not serve, I will not obey." And who 
is he who thus dares to speak? A weak reed, 
which bends before the least storm, a miserable 
man, who trembles before another who is 
angry. It is, indeed, a rasli revolt, since it is 
done in the presence of God Who has created 
him, of God Who is his Master, of God Who 
holds his life suspended by a thread, in the 
presence of God, Whose eyes are always upon 



58 Sin with Regard to God. 

him, that he dares to accomplish his act of 
rebellion. It is d, foolish revolt, because he is 
only a worm of the earth, who rises against 
Him Who could crush him under His foot. 
Just interrogate the sinner, and ask him what 
he would think of a vile slave who would dare 
to attack a powerful king, surrounded by his 
soldiers? At once he would say: ''He is a 
fool; he is wanting in ordinary good sense." 
Sin is, moreover, a satanic revolt, since it aims 
at nothing less than the annihilation of God. 
The impious man has said in his heart, There 
is no God. The sinner would wish that God 
did not possess wisdom, providence, sanctity, 
or justice. According to the expression of St. 
Bernard, "he would annihilate God, if he 
could." 

2. Ingratitude, — That which aggravates the 
crime of the sinner most is the inexhaustible 
goodness of the Master whom he offends. 
With St. Paul we will say to him: Poor 
sinner, what have you that you have not re- 
ceived from the liberal hand of God? The 
life which you enjoy, your body and all its ad- 
vantages, your soul and all its faculties — from 
whom have you received all these, if not from 
the infinitely good God who has created you? 
What has God done for the sinner in the order 
of grace? He has called him, in preference to 



Sin with Regard to God. 59 

SO many others, to the knowledge of the truth. 
He has made him a child of His Church, and 
has opened for him the sources of His grace. 
But the miserable sinner forgets these benefits. 
Not only does he forget them, but he abuses 
them by offending a God of infinite goodness. 
*'Thou hast made Me serve in thy sins." 
These eyes and ears and hands and feet, this 
body which I have formed, thou, hast made the 
instruments of thy crimes. This intelligence, 
this will, this heart, thou hast profaned. 
These goods, which I have lavished on you for 
legitimate use, thou hast abused by doing evil 
things, and by propagating and encouraging 
them : " Thou hast made Me serve in the com- 
mission of thy sins." 

The sinner carries ingratitude toward God 
to the highest degree which malice can attain. 
Not only does he not recognize the blessings 
with which he is filled, not only does he ren- 
der to his benefactor evil for good, but he even 
employs the good which he has received to 
outrage his God. He, therefore, debases him- 
self below the animal of the brute creation, 
and we can justly apply to the sinner the words 
of the prophet to the people of Israel : " The 
oxknoweth his owner, and the ass his master's 
crib, but Israel hath not known Me, and My 
people hath not understood." 



6o St 72 luith Regard to God. 

3. Contempt. — From the most hateful in- 
gratitude the sinner goes to the most injurious 
contempt. What has not God done, and what 
does He not do every day, to attract the sinner 
to Him ? God comes to him by the inspiration 
of His grace; He even begs his friendship: 
"Son, give Me thy heart." But the sinner is 
deaf to the voice of his God, his Creator, his 
Master, his Father, and his Redeemer. He 
wishes neither His society nor His friendship. 
God even makes to him the most seductive 
promises — everything which he asks will be 
given him; if he renounces sin, and observes 
the commandments with fidelity, he will be 
seated at the table in the eternal kingdom — all 
this if he will only persevere in the practice of 
virtue. But the sinner despises all these 
promises. And what does he prefer? A 
shadow which passes, a cloud which vanishes, 
a nothing. On the other hand, God makes 
known His terrible threats. He shows the 
eternal flames, the inconsolable sorrow, the 
gnavShing of teeth, the unspeakable torments, 
which await the impenitent sinner. And still 
the sinner despises all these threats. 

O unhappy sinner! look into your heart 
and strive to understand that the sovereign 
evil is to offend God and to persevere in in- 
iquity. " Know and see that it is an evil and a 



Sin the Evil of Man. 6i 

bitter thing- to have left the Lord thy God." 
While there is yet time, and the mercy of God 
offers you pardon, think well, and understand 
what sin is. Be converted, return to God, do 
penance, that you may regain your rights to 
your eternal inheritance. 



INSTRUCTION XI. 

SIN THE EVIL OF MAN. 
"The wages of sin is death." — Rom, vi. 23. 

A WARRIOR-KING, who had passed his 
life in battle, wishing to inspire his son 
• • • with a lively horror of war, employed an 
artist to skilfully paint a picture, representing 
the awful spectacle which a battle-field usually 
presents. There he depicted the dead, the 
dying, and the wounded hurled together ; arms 
and legs separated from their bodies, and 
shreds of human flesh lying in rivers of blood. 
Again, broken chariots and soldiers' equip- 
ments mingled in a mass of the dead bodies of 
horses and men. The prince inscribed on the 
picture m large letters, '' Behold the results of 
war.'' 

I wish to represent for you also the sad 
results of sin. See the world, a prey to revolu- 



62 Sin the Evil of Man. 

tions, bloody wars, destructive scourges, la- 
mentable epidemics, and all the most afiiicting 
calamities. Behold the fruits of sin! "The 
wages of sin is death." 

Man has been destined to enjoy three kinds 
of life: the natural, the spiritual, and the 
eternal life. Now, sin destroys, at once, this 
triple life. It causes the death of the body, or 
the natural life, the death of the soul, or the 
spiritual life, and the death of soul and body, 
or the eternal life. 

I. Natural death, — Man, created in the 
image and likeness of God, was not destined 
to die. Death was only announced to him as 
the chastisement which he would incur should 
he eat of the forbidden fruit: "On the day 
that you will eat of the fruit you shall die." 
And what has happened? Adam violated the 
precept which his Cijeator had given, and im- 
mediately he heard the irrevocable sentence 
of death pronounced on him and on all his 
posterity : " Dust thou art, and into dust thou 
shalt return." It is, then, in punishment of 
sin that death has relentlessly harvested all 
human generations. The divine malediction 
has been extended from man to all creatures, 
and all created things have become for man so 
many instruments of death. Heaven strikes 
him with its thunderbolts, the seas swallow him 



Sin the Evil of Man. d'}^ 

in their floods, the air stifles him with its 
vapors, the sun burns him with its rays, the 
earth crushes him under its ruins, the fire con- 
sumes him in its flames. Ferocious beasts 
devour him, and even domestic animals become 
dangerous to him. In fine, man has become 
the most terrible enemy of man. It is not 
necessary to present the fearful picture of 
wars, dissensions, and assassins who have red- 
dened the earth by their bloody crimes. 

Not only is sin the cause of death in the 
countless ways it strikes man, but it is the ex- 
haustless source of all the evils which precede 
and accompany it. Count, if you can, the 
pains, the fatigues, the sorrows, and the bitter 
desolations which come, even upon those who 
are esteemed the happiest among men. De- 
scend into the grave and see the mass of 
bodies which have become the prey of worms. 
What, then, has cast into the tomb human gen- 
erations one after the other? Is it not sin? 
Because man prevaricated he became the 
victim of death, and, moreover, because the 
descendants of Adam have multiplied their 
iniquities divine justice also multiplies the 
chastisement: "The wages of sin is death.'' 

2. Spiritual death, — Man is destined to a 
second life: the supernatural, or life of grace. 
It IS a life so ennobling that it elevates the 



64 Si?z the Evil of Man. 

creature to a participation of the divine nature. 
This life is given us by the holy use of the 
sacraments. The soul in a state of grace re- 
flects a ray of God's beauty. It is honored by 
the most beautiful titles, and is called the well- 
beloved daughter of the Father, the spouse of 
the Son-, the temple of the Holy Spirit,- It 
counts as many friends and protectors as there 
are saints in paradise. By grace it increases 
in spiritual wealth every day, and by the prac- 
tice of good works it augments proportionately 
the sum of its merits for eternity. The good 
which the soul accomplishes acquires for it the 
right to new graces, and renders it worthy of 
the friendship and protection of God. But let 
mortal sin once enter the soul, and what a trans- 
formation takes place! What disorder, what 
destruction! Ah, if it were permitted us to 
behold the terrible spectacle which a poor soul 
presents in a state of mortal sin ! It loses its 
beauty, and from the image of God which it 
was it becomes like to the demon. It loses 
its titles toward the three divine persons. Its 
spiritual treasures are ruined, and nothing re- 
mains. It is struck Vv^th vSterility, and can no 
longer merit for eternal reward. Instead of 
the graces of God, it merits rather the severity 
of His justice. In a word, it is deprived of all 
spiritual life: "The wages of sin is death/' 



Si?i the Evil of Man. 65 

3. Eternal death, — When sin has been com- 
mitted and is not repaired by penance, it en- 
tails on man a third death, which is death 
eternal. He Who said at the commencement, 
**Thou shalt die the death," will say also, on 
the last day, " Depart from Me, ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire." Now, who will be those 
cursed ones? The impious, the blasphemous, 
the profaners of holy days, the homicides, the 
scandalous, the debauchees, and the intemper- 
ate, robbers, perjurers — in a word, all those 
v/ho violate the commandments of God. Re- 
call the parable of the rich man. It is said he 
was buried in hell. With him will be buried 
all impenitent sinners, and they will never de- 
part from their eternal sepulchre. But hell, 
with its inextinguishable fires, its weeping and 
gnashing of teeth — what has created it? The 
sin of the rebellious angel : " The wages of sin 
is death." Now, let us understand the sad 
effects of sin, and render ourselves worthy of 
the mercy of God by a prompt and sincere 
repentance. 
5 



66 Death. 

INSTRUCTION XII. 

DEATH. 

"It is appointed unto men once to die." — Heb. ix.27. 

EVEN if the Holy Spirit of God had not 
formulated this decree by the mouth of 
. • • • St. Paul, daily experience would suffice to 
teach us this sad truth. Yes, Christians, we 
must all die, and still how many are there who 
live as if they had made a compact with death 
that they should never quit this world. How 
many are there who reject the thought of death 
as something importunate and troublesome, 
which is calculated only to embitter the pleas- 
ures of life! The recollection of this awful 
truth is one of the most powerful remedies 
which the Holy Spirit gives us against tempta- 
tion and yielding to the commission of sin: 
" Remember thy last end and thou shalt never 
sin." It is, therefore, on this salutary thought 
of death that we will meditate to-day. Death, 
as it appears to us, is the beginning and the end. 
It is the end of life on earth, the end of vanity, 
error, falsehood, and illusions. It is the be- 
ginning of eternity and the only real things 
which exist for man, 

I. The end. — I say that death is the end, and 



Death, 67 

the end of all men in this world. This life, 
which the old man strives to prolong with 
greatest care ; this life, which the man of ma- 
ture years employs with so much confidence 
in increasing his wealth, in conducting his 
affairs, and solidly establishing his family ; this 
life, which youth regards as a brilliant aurora, 
the prelude of a cloudless day — this life is 
short and comes to an end rapidly. 

Is there a river or an ocean whose waves suc- 
ceed each other with greater rapidity than the 
days and weeks and months and years w^hich 
make up our life ? Holy Scripture records that 
when Jacob went to Egypt with his children 
Pharao asked of him his age. The holy patri- 
arch answered : " The days of my pilgrimage 
are one hundred and thirty years, few and 
evil, and they are not come up to the days of 
the pilgrimage of my fathers." This is what 
we can say of the longest life, a sequence of 
days, few in number, and as wicked as they 
are numerous. 

It is always at the moment we expect it 
least that death comes to cut short calcula- 
tions, hopes, enterprises, and all the illusions 
which have lulled us to sleep. Therefore, in 
its wisdom, the Gospel exhorts us to keep 
ourselves prepared always : ^' Be ye therefore 
prepared, because you know not the hour when 



6S Death. 

the Son of man will come." In what year, on 
what day, at what hour will death arrive? 
You cannot say. Therefore be prepared. 
Death will come as a thief, when you least ex- 
pect or look for the coming. And now let us 
ask, in what state will this surprise find you? 
Will you be in the grace and friendship of 
God, or will you be in sin? Ordinarily, as is 
life so shall death be. As a man lives so shall 
he die. The Holy Spirit tells us: ''The tree 
will fall on the side to- which it inclines." 

Death will put an end to all honors, pleas- 
ures, riches, joys, projects, and hopes for the 
future. When that fatal hour will have 
arrived neither parents, nor friends, nor 
patrons, nor protectors can retard for a second 
this inevitable separation from all things. We 
must say an eternal farewell to all those whom 
we have loved most in this world. Now, I ask 
you, is it really worth while to attach ourselves 
to that which must so quickly finish? Go in 
spirit to your last hour on earth, and what you 
will then think of the illusions and vanity of 
the world ; strive to estimate them now at the 
same worth. Live out your life in such a 
manner that this necessary end of all things 
will not surprise you when it arrives, and you 
may with confidence enter on that life beyond 
^?"iich will never end. 



Death. 69 

2. The commencement. — While death is the 
end of all present things it is also the be- 
ginning of eternal realities. However diverse 
may be our conditions during life, in the pres- 
ence of death all distinctions are effaced. 
Then there can be only two categories of men : 
those who have preserved grace or recovered 
it, and those who have it not and who renounce 
it at that supreme moment. For both classes 
of men death is the beginning of unchange- 
able truth. Go and stand at the bedside of a 
dying man. He is a man who during life has 
made profession of incredulity. Notwithstand- 
ing the lights of reason, in spite of the infallible 
authority of the Church, of whose teaching he 
could not be absolutely ignorant, in spite of 
the testimony of the most respectable wit- 
nesses, he is still obstinate and has no regard 
for the existence of God and His sovereign 
authority. The Catholic Church, her pontiffs, 
her ministers, her doctrine, her sacraments, 
her practices — all these have been the objects 
of his hatred, his contempt, and his sarcasms. 
He was pleased when he read books or jour- 
nals which lavished injury and calumny on 
God and His Church. His God was money, 
his worship the grossest pleasures. His im- 
piety, however, could not make him immortal, 
and now his last hour has come. One last 



7 o Death. 

sigh, and that soul escapes from his body and 
falls into eternity. Great God, what a spectacle ! 
What horror ! He beholds face to face that God 
Whom he has denied. The Saviour Whom 
he has blasphemed is his judge, and he hears 
the inexorable sentence, *' Depart from Me, 
you cursed, into eternal fire." Now he clearly 
sees that the Catholic Church, her pontiffs, 
her ministers, her doctrines, and her sacra- 
ments, are the works of Jesus Christ for the 
salvation of men. Judgment, paradise, hell 
are no longer for him idle dreams. Now he 
beholds the reality, and he will behold it for 
eternity to his confusion and despair. 

A more consoling spectacle is reserved for 
us in the death of the just man. For him also 
death is the beginning of eternal realities. 
This good and merciful God, in Whom he 
placed all his confidence, is present, and he 
finds Him faithful in all his promises. He 
appears before Christ, his judge, and hears the 
sentence of salvation: "Come, ye blessed of 
My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for 
you from the beginning of the world." The 
faithful member of the Church militant at his 
death passes into the ranks of the Church 
triumphant. All the truths which he believed 
with faith, and which were the objects of his 
firm hope, he now contemplates with ravishing 



Particular Judgment. 71 

reality. "Your elect, O my God! will be 
satiated with the abundance of the good things 
you have prepared for them." May this last 
hour, which will put an end to all the things 
of earth, be for you also the commencement 
of an eternal felicity. 



INSTRUCTION XIII. 

PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 
"Give an account of thy stewardship." — St. Luke xvi.2. 

IN this world, we must be persuaded, we are 
not the proprietors or owners of all that 
• • we have. Our body, our soul, our talents, 
in a word, whatever we possess, have been in- 
trusted to us to be employed for the glory of 
God, our creator, our sovereign master. One 
day He will demand a strict account of the 
use we will have made of these gifts. To 
inculcate this truth our blessed Saviour has 
employed the parable which we read in the 
Gospel according to St. Luke. A rich man 
had a steward who was accused of squandering 
his master's goods, and he was asked for an 
account of his administration : " Give an ac- 
count of thy stewardship/' 

It is thus that the Sovereign Judge will re- 



72 Particular Judgment. 

quire of each and every one a strict account 
of the use we have made of life. Let us go in 
spirit for a moment before that tribunal where 
we must soon really appear. We Vv^ill meditate 
on the solemn and terrible circumstances by 
comparing this tribunal with our own earthly 
tribunals. 

I . The Judge. — Who will be our judge on that 
day of final examination? It will be our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, to Whom 
all power has been given on earth and in 
heaven. At a moment when it will please Him, 
and always sooner than we expect, He will 
summon us before Him. Hardly will the last 
sigh be drawn on earth when the soul will be 
placed in judgment. Jesus, Who hitherto was 
known to us by titles of Saviour, Redeemer, 
Benefactor, Friend, and Advocate before the 
Father, will be only our judge. Then He will 
be the supreme judge who will weigh in an 
equitable balance both good and evil, and will 
mete out recompense or chastisement accord- 
ing to the merits of each one. He will be a 
wSevere judge, abiding only by the prescriptions 
of the law which He Himself established and 
made known in the Gospel. He will be an 
inexorable judge, Who will not yield to any 
plea or prayer for the soul in judgment. He 
will be a justly angered judge, because of the 



Particular Judgment. 73 

sins the soul has committed and the contempt 
which has been given in return for His bless- 
ings and His love. 

2. TJie accused. — Against whom will the 
accusation be made? A man, who before God 
is less than an atom of dust, less than the vilest 
worm of the earth. And this man will be 
there alone in presence of his omnipotent 
judge. He will have no protector to influence 
the tribunal, no advocate to plead his cause, 
no friend whose presence can sustain him. 
" What then shall I say, miserable sinner as 
lam?" 

3. The accusation, — The accused will be 
obliged to answer for the transgression of 
God's commandments, for the negligence and 
forgetfulness of the sacraments, which were 
given him as means of salvation, and of which 
he has made no use. He must answer for the 
scandals he has given to those who had a right 
to expect from him good examples, and for 
the graces of God uselessly received. Oh, 
what terror must seize man*s soul when his ears 
will resound with the words which paralyzed 
the impious Balthazar with fear : " Count, 
weigh, separate! " Count, then, all the graces 
given, weigh well their value in the scales of 
the sanctuary, separate the good use from the 
abuse of God's choicest blessings. What will 



74 Particular Judg?:ient. 

remain that is worthy of compensation? At 
the same time an account will be required of 
the good which has been neglected and the 
graces received. We must also answer for 
the good badly performed ; for, as the prophet 
says : " God will visit Jerusalem with a lamp in 
His hand," and He will seek out even the 
slightest imperfections. How many good acts 
spoiled, or perhaps entirely lost, by the man- 
ner, the motive, the end which accompanied 
them or determined their accomplishment ! 

4. Vain excuses of the sinner, — When ar- 
raigned before an earthly tribunal the accused 
can often count on what is called '' extenuating 
circumstances." But before the dread tribunal 
of God, what pretext can the sinner allege? 
Is it ignorance ? This will not suffice, since 
the sinner has been instructed in everything. 
And has not God multiplied the means to make 
known the truth and put him in possession of 
it? Has he been ignorant of the infallible 
teaching of the Church? If he is wanting in 
instruction it is his own fault. Has he not 
sought the nourishment of his soul from im- 
pious and licentious journals ? Instead of hear- 
ing the priests teaching in the name of Christ, 
has he not treated them with contempt and 
even hatred? Perhaps the sinner may allege 
his powerlessness to obey the law. But God 



Particular Judgment. 75 

cannot command what is impossible. Fur- 
thermore, when God gives His law to men for 
their observance He gives at the same time 
the necessary grace and assistance to observe 
it. The great apostle St. Patil found that it was 
humiliating and difficult to combat against his 
rebellious inclinations, and he was answered, 
"Paul, My grace is sufficient." Will the sin- 
ner pretend to say that the practice of virtue 
was too difficult ? Why, then, does Jesus say in 
His Gospel, " My yoke is sweet and my burden 
light"? Again, how many saints of* every 
rank, of every age, sex, and condition, will be 
there to attest by their example that the prac- 
tice of virtue did not present the pretended 
difficulties which the worldly always allege as 
an excuse for their cowardice and idleness in 
the practice of good ! 

5. The accusers. — The sinner, standing at 
the dread tribunal without excuse of any kind, 
will see numerous accusers rising against 
him. Jesus Christ Himself will be at the same 
time the judge and the witness. And what 
a witness! He will have seen all, heard all, 
known all, and counted all. There will be the 
guardian angel, the inseparable companion of 
the sinner's life, who will recall the inspira- 
tion and the advice given him. There will 
be the demon, who will boast of the evil he has 



76 The Last Jiidgvient and Sentejicc. 

prompted him to commit and will impatiently 
claim his victim. But of all the accusers the 
most unpitying will be the conscience of the 
sinner. He had stifled this '' still, small voice" 
during the illusions of life, but at the tribunal 
of God it will demand its rights, and will 
exclaim : " Thou alone art the worker of thy de- 
struction! " And then, where shall the miser- 
able sinner turn to escape the hands of his 
Judge? The saints and angels can do nothing 
more for him. The Virgin Mother, the advo- 
cate of repentant sinners, will no longer plead 
for him. The time of mercy has passed. It 
is now the time of justice. Do not await this 
hour for conversion ; it will be too late. Let 
us begin now to judge ourselves, that we may 
not be condemned at the tribunal of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ. 



INSTRUCTION XIV. 

THE LAST JUDGMENT AND SENTENCE. 

"And these shall go into everlasting punishment, but the 
just into life everlasting." — St. Matt, xxv.46. 

SUCH will be the sentence which the Sov- 
ereign Judge will pronounce at the last 
• • • solemn judgment of the world. It will 
be a sentence full of consolation for the just, 



The Last Judgment and Sentence. 'j'j 

since it will call them from fatigue to repose, 
from this vale of tears to infinite joys, and from 
misery to an eternal beatitude which they 
have merited by their works of charity. It 
will be a sentence full of fear and terror for 
the wicked, since it will announce to them 
their separation from God, His malediction, 
and an eternity of sufferings and despair. Let 
us represent to ourselves now the circum- 
stances and the solemnity of this final judg- 
ment. Let us consider the judge, the wit- 
nesses, the accused, the accusers, and, in fine, 
the separation. 

I. The Judge. — Our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ Himself will preside at this last judg- 
ment. "The Father has given Him the power 
of judging, because He is the Son of man." 
Then He will manifest Himself in all the 
splendor of His majesty, as King of the uni- 
verse. Oh, how much He will be feared, since 
He is at once the person off'ended and the wit- 
ness of the offence. " It is Thou alone Whom 
I have offended, and in Thy presence I have 
done evil,'* says David. By the mouth of the 
prophet Jeremias we learn : " I myself am the 
judge and the witness.'' He will be an inflex- 
ible judge : '' He will not pardon on the day 
of vengeance nor will He listen to the prayers 
of any one." 



78 The Last Judgment and Sentence. 

2. The witnesses. — ^On the day of final retri- 
bution the Saviour and Judge will be sur- 
rounded by the angels and all the heavenly 
court. With the angels will be also the elect. 
" Behold, how the Lord comes with millions of 
His saints to judge the world and to punish 
the impious for all the works of their iniquity.'* 
No longer will you see Jesus in a stable 
wrapped in swaddling-clothes and surrounded 
by poor shepherds. But you will see Him in 
all His glory, seated on a throne, and sur- 
rounded by all the powers of heaven. Nor 
will the angels and saints, or Mary herself, 
longer plead the cause of sinners, but they 
will cover the sinners with confusion by re- 
calling to them the contempt they had for their 
intercession when they could still have saved 
them. 

3. Tlie accused, — All men, without exception, 
must appear before that awful tribunal. But, 
oh, what a difference in their condition ! What 
consolation for the just when they will hear 
the Sovereign Judge say to them : '* Come, ye 
blessed of My Father, take possession of the 
kingdom prepared for you from the founda- 
tion of the world." Come, My apostles, who 
have persevered with Me in all trials, and have 
left all things to follow Me. Come, ye mar- 
tyrs, w^ho have shed your blood for My glory. 



The Last Jtcdgment and Sentence. 79 

Come, ye confessors, who have defended the 
truth by your teaching and by your works. 
Come, ye virgins, who have preserved purity 
of mind and heart and body by vigilance and 
prayer. Come, ye Christians, who have not 
blushed for Me before men, and who have 
glorified My name. Come, receive now the 
recompense of your works. " I was hungry 
and you gave Me to eat ; I was thirsty and you 
gave Me to drink; I was homeless and you 
sheltered Me; I was naked and you clothed 
Me ; I was sick and you visited Me ; I was in 
prison and you came to console Me." 

On the other hand, what confusion for the 
reprobate when the Sovereign Judge, turning 
to the left, will unveil before the assembled 
world all the iniquities they have committed ! 
There will be there, as accused, all the im- 
pious, blasphemers, profaners of holy days, 
unnatural and disobedient children, robbers, 
assassins, the impure, liars, and the avaricious. 
There will be there the persecutors of the 
Church and her pontiffs, the writers of wicked 
journals, the propagators of false and lying 
doctrines — in a word, all who have eliminated 
God from the world and the conscience of 
men. 

Then they will hear falling on their guilty 
heads, as an overwhelming mountain, the sen- 



8o The Last Jiidgjnciit and Sentence. 

tence of Jesus Christ : " Depart from Me, ye 
cursed, into everlasting fire, which has been 
prepared by the devil and his angels." What 
a frightful sentence ! What rigorous justice ! 
What insupportable punishment! O separa- 
tion! O malediction! O fire! O eternity! 
I do not know which of these four punish- 
ments is most to be feared, the separation 
from the Sovereign Good, the malediction 
of God, the fire of hell, the eternity of these 
torments. 

4. TJie accusers. — But where can defenders 
be found before this tribunal ? There will be 
none. The unfortunate sinner will see around 
about him, on every side, accusers only. Ac- 
cording to St. Bernard, his own sins will be 
his accusers: "Thou hast made us, we are 
the work of Thy hands ; now we will not leave 
you, but we will be always with you." All 
created things, in their turn, will arise, to cry 
out against the sinner : " Behold him who has 
offended our Creator, and who has made a 
sacrilegious abuse of us, to make us serve for 
his iniquities." And the demon will be there 
to testify against him whom he has seduced 
into evil, and w^ho has denied his God to be- 
come a slave of the world, the flesh, and the 
devil. But of all the accusers the most terri- 
ble will be the sinner himself, who must sub- 



The Last Judgment and Sentence. 8i 

mit to the heart-rending remorse of his own 
conscience. The Gospel assures us that this 
gnawing worm of remorse will never die. 

5. The separation. — Immediately after the 
judgment comes the eternal separation. The 
reprobates, placed at the left hand and struck 
with the divine malediction, will sorrowfully 
go to eternal punishment, to share the com- 
panionship of the bad angels. As to the just, 
placed at the right hand of God, they will enter 
into eternal life, in the company of our blessed 
Saviour, His holy Mother, and the angels, to 
enjoy the glory of heaven for all eternity. 
Who is the Christian penetrated by this great 
truth of the general judgment, and the irrev- 
ocable sentence which must follow it, who 
will not take the firm resolution of being sin- 
cerely converted, of doing penance for his sins, 
and applying himself to good works, which 
alone can merit for him a sentence of pardon 
from the just Judge? 
6 



82 Penance as a Virtue. 

INSTRUCTION XV. 

PENANCE AS A VIRTUE. 
**Do penance." — St. Matt, iii.2. 

THESE are the first words which fell from 
the lips of St. John the Baptist, the pre- 
• • • cursor of Our Lord, at the beginning of 
his mission. To the Jews of every age and 
condition who came to hear him, he said: '' Do 
penance." Our blessed Saviour also, when 
explaining to the multitudes the reason of His 
coming, said to them : " I am not come to call 
the just, but sinners to repentance.'* What is 
this penance, to which as sinners we are all 
called? It is a virtue which must prompt us 
to detest sin as an offence against God, and to 
expiate it when we have had the misfortune to 
commit it, and to employ the means to avoid 
all sin for the future. We will, therefore, 
meditate on the necessity and the qualities of 
penance. 

I. Its 7icccssity, — That the sinner w^ho has 
revolted against God and has committed 
iniquity is bound to do penance, is a truth 
which is established by every page of Holy 
Scripture. Adam, contrary to the prohibition 
of his Creator, ate of the fruit of the tree 



Penance as a Virtue, 83 

which he was forbidden to touch. In punish- 
ment of his sin God condemned him and all 
his posterity to misery, suffering, and death. 
Those public scourges, wars, and calamities 
which have ravaged the earth, and have been 
a source of sorrow to humanity, are only a just 
penance imposed on Adam and his guilty 
children. 

Noe spent a hundred years in the construc- 
tion of the ark which was to save him and his 
children from the universal deluge. These 
long years were not absolutely necessary for 
the construction of the ark, but God, in His 
mercy, wished that during these hundred 
years the patriarch. His servant, would invite 
men to do penance for the monstrous iniquities 
with which they were stained, and because 
they were deaf to the voice of Noe they were 
buried in the depths of this universal deluge. 

David, who was guilty of a twofold crime, 
was condemned to do penance. He was the 
sorrowful witness of the scourges which dec- 
imated his people, and his heart was torn by 
grief at the revolt and waywardness of his 
son Absalom. The Gospel assures us that 
penance is the only means we have of escap- 
ing the eternal justice of God. " Unless you 
do penance you shall all perish.'' When St. 
Peter preached for the first time before the 



84 Penance as a Virtue, 

Jews, who were gathered near the cenacle, 
on the day of Pentecost, his only exhortation 
to them was to "do penance." The mission 
of the apostles was to preach to the world 
penance and the remission of sins. The 
Fathers of the Church will also give their tes- 
timony in this matter. The great Augustine 
emphatically declares that sin must be ex- 
piated by man doing penance, or by God ex- 
ercising vengeance. Tertullian says that the 
sinner is born for penance. St. Jerome calls 
penance the second plank after shipwreck. 

To arrive at eternal glory there are only 
two ways open to us, either innocence or pen- 
ance. But where are they who have preserved 
their baptismal innocence pure and stainless? 
Oh, how rare are these privileged souls in 
the world, especially in these days of impiety 
and indifference in which we live! It must 
be evident, therefore, to the least reflective 
that there is nothing left for us to do except to 
have recourse to penance, to expiate our sins, 
to render ourselves worthy of the mercy of 
God, who will cheerfully grant us fullest par- 
don on this condition — penance. 

2. Qualities, — St. John the Baptist not only 
invited the Jews to do penance, but he also 
exhorted them to bring forth fruits worthy 
of penance. Now, to be worthy our penance 



Penance as a Virtue. 85 

should be prompt, rigorous, full, and persever- 
ing. 

It should h^ prompt, that is to say, we should 
begin at once, in this very hour. The royal 
prophet tells us : " If to-day you hear the voice 
of God harden not your hearts/' To postpone 
this duty is a dangerous matter. God may 
call us hence without giving us time for pen- 
ance, and according to the w^ords of St. Paul, 
"by the hardness of our hearts we treasure 
up for ourselves the wrath of God." See 
David; hardly had the prophet Nathan made 
known to him the heinousness of his sin than 
immediately he humbled himself and did pen- 
ance. See St. Peter; one single look from 
Jesus was enough, and he wept so continuously 
that the tears furrowed his cheeks. 

Our penance should be rigorous, that is to 
say, it should be proportioned to the gravity of 
our sin. It is for this reason that, in the 
primitive Church, the holy canons had speci- 
fied different degrees of penance, which sin- 
ners should perform according as their culpa- 
bility was more or less grave. Let us go in 
spirit into the cleansing fires of purgatory, and 
consider the severity with which divine justice 
punishes the slightest faults. We will then 
understand that the pain, the sufferings, the 
fastings and watchings, which we should accept 



86 Penance as a Virtue. 

for our sins, will always be less than what we 
should perform to satisfy the Sovereign Maj- 
esty Whom we have offended. 

Our penance should be full and entire, that 
is to say, it should extend to all that has been 
offensive to God, and that everything which 
has served us in the commission of sin should 
share in the chastisement. Has our mind 
wilfully meditated on evil things? Then let 
us employ it in holy and salutary reflections. 
Has our will been turned away from God? 
Then let us fix it irrevocably on truth and 
justice. Has our heart been attached to creat- 
ures and perishable goods? Henceforth let it 
entertain only love for God and for goods 
which are eternal. Have our eyes, our ears, 
our tongues, our feet, our hands been for us 
instruments of iniquity? In our penance, let 
us employ them by a continual mortification. 

In fine, our penance should be persevering. 
We should weep for our sins, and expiate our 
faults, not only during some days, some years, 
but during our whole life. Let us recall the 
words of Our Lord : " He who shall persevere 
to the end, he shall be saved." Now, to per- 
severe in penance is to live in the practice of 
virtue, of piety, of sanctification, and each 
da)^ to grow rich in the number of our merits. 

Let us imitate the example which the saints 



Trials. 87 

have given us. It is by their salutary works 
of penance that they have served God and 
have attained the very summit of perfection. 
They have said, with St. Paul: ^'The labors of 
our penance in this world are not at all com- 
parable to the glory which God will reveal to 
us in eternity." 



INSTRUCTION XVI. 

TRIALS. 

"You shall lament and weep, but the world shall re- 
joice." — St. John xvi. 20. 

THE inheritance of the friends and servants 
of Jesus Christ in this world is suffering, 
• • • affliction, trials. While they shed tears 
and are in sorrow the world rejoices. Thus 
the lot or condition of the Christian is regarded 
with pity by the partisans of the world, be- 
cause they cannot understand that there are 
other joys than those which are sought for in 
the pleasure, the goods, and th© feasts which 
the world offers. But Jesus Christ, Who is 
truth itself, has proclaimed the happiness of 
those who suffer and weep. " Blessed are they 
who suffer persecution for justice, blessed are 
they who mourn, for they shall be consoled." 
That there is happiness in afflictions and trials 



88 Trials. 

is one of those truths which cannot be under- 
stood except by those who are enlightened by 
divine light. For reason alone, it is a ''hard 
saying." But what are human reasonings 
against the infallible truth of the Gospel ? To 
the eyes of faith that which gives confidence 
in our severest trials is that God permits them. 
He is the witness of what we suffer, and He 
will, one day, compensate us fully for all we 
suffer. 

I . God permits them, — It is a principle of faith 
that nothing happens to us here on earth with- 
out the permission of God. What more strik- 
ing proof of this truth can be given us than 
the history of Job? This holy man, whom 
God has been pleased to call His servant, was 
possessed of much wealth, and was surrounded 
by all that could make the human heart happy 
in this world. But God has wished to give 
him to all men as a perfect model of patience 
and resignation. He permits the devil to 
attack him, first in his goods, then in his 
children, and, at last, to assail himself. The 
story of the patriarch's sorrows and trials is 
well known, and there are no words more cele- 
brated or widely known than his sentence of 
beautiful resignation : " The Lord hath given 
and the Lord hath taken away : blessed be the 
name of the Lord." 



Trials, 89 

Christians also, although not tested so se- 
verely, have all had their share of afflictions 
and trials in this world. The disciples of Jesus 
Christ are not above their Master. Our blessed 
Saviour has said : '' If they have persecuted 
Me they will persecute you/' He has wished 
to undergo all kinds of trials precisely to be 
our model. After Him, the saints have been 
exposed to the crucible of affliction and suffer- 
ing. See the apostles, the martyrs, the confes- 
sors ; what have they not endured in this world 
for their devotion to Christ and His Church? 
Far from complaining, or of being astonished 
at the condition which was in reserve for 
them, they, on the contrary, esteemed them- 
selves sovereignly happy to have been judged 
worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. 

If, then, God permits afflictions to fall upon 
us, if also He wishes to make us like to our 
divine Model, a single thought from St. Paul 
must give us fullest confidence. It is that 
'*God will never allow us to be tried too 
severely, or tempted beyond our strength." 

2. He zvitnesses them, — Another thought 
which must assure and encourage us in our 
trials is that God is the witness and sees them 
all. The prophet has said that in this world 
'' the tribulations of the just are many . " There 
are tribulations of mind, and heart, and body ; 



90 Trials. 

oftentimes it happens that we are an insup- 
portable burden to ourselves. We suffer from 
flights of imagination, and from too great 
sensibility of the heart. Our bodies, too, are 
exposed to a thousand infirmities. And again, 
how great are the trials which the Christian 
must endure on the part of the world ! *' You 
will be cursed and hated for My sake," Our 
Saviour told His disciples, and He added : *' I 
will send you as lambs among wolves." Has 
it ever happened that peace and harmony 
reigned between lambs and wolves ? However, 
we should be consoled in the midst of our trials, 
whatever may be their nature or number. 
God is the faithful witness of them all. He 
sees our struggles and our combats, and He 
counts them. Not the least temptation which 
we have rejected will He ever forget; and 
every effort to preserve His grace He will 
constantly keep in loving remembrance, and 
one day will recompense us fully for them all. 
If it is true that a soldier is encouraged to 
fight valorously when he knows his general is 
the witness of his courage, for how much 
greater reason should the Christian, who is the 
soldier of Jesus Christ, be animated to bear 
adversity and trial when he knows that he 
combats under the eyes of his divine Chief? 
With the great Apostle the Christian can ex- 



Trials. 9 1 

claim : " I can do all things in Him Who 
strengthens me." 

3. He rewards them. — God will, one day, 
magnificently reward us for the trials which 
He now permits and of which He is the witness. 
St. Paul assures us that ''if we suffer with 
Christ we will also reign with Him." The 
same apostle compares the trials, the sufferings, 
and the afflictions which are the inheritance of 
the servants of Christ with the recompense 
which is prepared for them in heaven. Then 
he exclaims: "All the sorrows, all.the agonies, 
and all the torments of the present life are as 
nothing when compared with the future glory 
with which God will be pleased to surround us. " 

See the saints, who have suffered so gener- 
ously for the honor of Christ! What glory 
to-day can be comparable to theirs! Their 
happiness now is intensified just because they 
suffered so much when on earth. If we would 
seek consolation and encouragement in the 
trials of life which afflict us, let us look up to 
Jesus and the saints, who have followed Him 
closely. Our blessed Saviour tells us the con- 
dition which He requires for fellowship with 
Him. " If any man wishes to come after Me, 
he must deny himself, take up his cross, and 
follow Me." Nor must we forget that God 
requires us to be " like to the image of His 



92 Temptations. 

Son." We well know what this image is: "a 
man of sorrow\" From Bethlehem to Naz- 
areth, and from Nazareth to Calvary, His 
whole life was one continued sorrow. This 
is the example which the saints have given us. 
Patient suffering and suffering patience were 
the characteristics of them all, from the Queen 
of saints down to the very last to whom the 
Church has given the title. "A little suffering 
now, an eternal weight of glory," is the prom- 
ise given to sustain our drooping hearts in this 
vale of tears. 



INSTRUCTION XVII. 

TEMPTATIONS. 

"Son, when thou comes t to the service of God stand 
in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for tempta- 
tions." — EccLUS. ii. I. • 

IT is a long time since the great servant of 
God Job declared that '' the life of man on 
• • earth is a warfare." Experience, however, 
confirms this truth. The Christian must re- 
gard heaven as a place to which he can never 
attain unless after a long and severe struggle. 
Our blessed Saviour tells us: "The violent 
bear it away." The apostle St. Paul adds that 
'' no one shall be crowned who has not fought 
valiantly." 



Te77iptations. 93 

It is, then, with reason that the inspired 
author of Ecclesiasticus tells us that whoever 
aspires to the service of God should prepare 
his soul for temptation. Now, temptation is 
the struggle, the combat, the resistance against 
all that which is opposed to our eternal salva- 
tion. We will, therefore, consider temptation 
in its nature, its causes, and the means of over- 
coming it. 

I. Its nature, — Everything which solicits or 
attracts or leads us to the commission of sin 
may be called temptation. A temptation may 
be a thought, an inclination of the heart, or a 
sensible attraction toward something forbid- 
den. We could not, perhaps, select a more 
striking example than the temptation of Eve 
in the terrestrial paradise. God had forbidden 
Adam under pain of death to touch the tree of 
the knowledge of good and evil. The demon 
spoke to the woman. He said: "Why do you 
not partake of all the fruits of paradise ? No, 
you will not die ; God knows that on the day 
you will eat of the fruit of that tree your eyes 
will be opened and you will be like to God, 
knowing good and evil." To seduce his 
victim the demon casts a doubt on the author- 
ity of God. He assures her against chastise- 
ment. He makes the most seductive promises 
to her. Eve listens to the tempter, allows 



94 Te^nptations . 

herself to be tempted, and at length yields to 
the temptation. 

Our blessed Lord in the desert furnishes us 
with another example of temptation. The 
demon presents himself. He sees that Jesus 
is hungry, and he tells Him to command that 
the stones be changed into bread. Then 
taking Him up to the pinnacle of the temple 
he exhorts Him to cast Himself down, promis- 
ing Him the assistance of the angels. In fine, 
he points out from the mountain-top all the 
kingdoms of the earth, and promises to give 
them to Him if He will consent to adore him. 
But the Saviour rejects him with indignation, 
and reminds him that God alone is worthy of 
adoration, and divinely triumphs over the 
threefold temptation. 

Our divine Lord experienced temptation for 
our instruction only, and at the same time to 
give us a model and example. If the example 
of our first mother shows us how easily we 
may succumb by not resisting the first sugges- 
tions of evil, Our Saviour teaches us the means 
to employ to resist and conquer. We should 
also know it well, that temptation may assail 
us in any place ; even in the midst of delights, 
as Eve was tempted, or in the depths of the 
most solitary desert, like our blessed Saviour. 
And again, all men without exception are ex- 



Temptations. 95 

posed to temptation, but particularly those who 
wish to be faithful to God and lead a Christian 
life. The lives of the saints, God's special 
friends and servants, will afford us the most 
abundant testimony of this truth. 

2. lis causes, — Temptation comes to us from 
three sources. The demon urges us to evil by 
his suggestions. The zvorld ensnares us by its 
bad examples and its dangerous doctrines. In 
fine, our own concupiscence precipitates us into 
the dread abyss of sin. 

The greatest source of temptation is the 
demon. According to the expression of St. 
Peter, " he goes about like a roaring lion seek- 
ing whom he may devour." Who can tell the 
ruses or the artifices he employs to seduce our 
souls? At first he proposes only slight faults. 
Then, carefully concealing the enormity of sin, 
he clothes vice with the most seductive allure- 
ments. He points out how the infinite mercy 
of God will pardon everything. Once the sin 
is committed he casts the deepest and darkest 
despair into the sinner's heart, and leads him 
to say with the fratricide Cain : '* My iniquity 
is too great to ask for pardon." To tempt 
men the demon has a most powerful auxiliary 
in the world. Who is there that does not see 
the disastrous influence of the bad doctrines 
which are propagated everywhere to deceive 



90 Temptations. 

souls and to snatch them from Christ and His 
Church? Oh, how many are the sad examples 
which are placed in the pathway of youth! 
What powerful attractions the pleasures, riches, 
and honors of the world present ! What care 
and zeal the world manifests in all temporal 
mattei:s! What carelessness, what forgetful- 
ness, what contempt even, for all that pertains 
to eternal salvation ! 

Concupiscence, which we carry within us, is a 
continual source of temptation. Listen to the 
great Apostle complaining of the constant war 
which he must sustain against his rebellious 
flesh: ''Unhappy man that I am, who will 
deliver me from the body of this death ? " You 
will ask, perhaps, why God has not allowed 
even the greatest saints to be exempted frorn 
temptation. I answer: it was to prove their 
virtue and to render them more acceptable. 
The angel said to Tobias : " Because thou art 
agreeable to God it is necessary that tempta- 
tion prove thee.'* God allows temptations to 
teach us our own weakness, to lead us to have 
recourse to God, to furnish us with occasions 
of merit, and to hinder us from exposing our- 
selves to a dangerous security. 

3. Means to trininph. — Since temptation is 
inevitable in this world it is important for the 
Christian to employ means lest he succumb to 



Bad Books. 97 

it. These means are vigilance over our minds 
and hearts and senses. The enemy may roar 
about us, but he cannot enter our hearts unless 
we open the door for him. " Watch and pray, 
that you may not enter into temptation. " Thus 
it is our blessed Lord Himself instructs us. To 
vigilance we must join our fervent prayer. Of 
ourselves we are incapable of resisting the 
least temptation, but with the grace of God, 
obtained by prayer, there is nothing which we 
may not conquer. Avoid occasions ; that is, 
companions, shows, reading. We should gen- 
erously renounce all that may be for us a sub- 
ject of temptation. Have courage to combat. 
We will find this courage in considering the 
sad effects of consent to temptation, and also 
the eternal recompense which will be the re- 
ward of virtue. 



INSTRUCTION XVIII. 

BAD BOOKS. 

*'Be not seduced: evil communications corrupt good 
manners." — i. Cor. xv. 33. 

WHAT the apostle St. Paul has said of 
evil conversation may be applied with 
* • • greater reason to bad books. This is 
particularly true to-day, when the press exer- 
7 



98 Bad Books. 

cises such a vast influence, and may without 
the slightest overstatement be called the ruler 
of the world. I think it is true to say that 
conversation and social discourse have dimin- 
ished among men in proportion as books and 
journals have been multiplied. For exam- 
ple, observe the conipartments of the railroad 
or the decks of the steamer or the different 
waiting-rooms; you will not find a traveller 
who is not fortified with a book or half-a-dozen 
newspapers. Every one reads, without wish- 
ing to exchange a word with his neighbor. 
Books have become a necessity for the young 
man, the young girl, the mother of the family, 
and the man of business. There are journals 
of every kind, which afford a knowledge of 
everything. Every one reads them. We can 
readily understand the influence which this 
fever for reading must necessarily exercise 
over the mind and heart. This influence will 
be salutary or sad according to the character 
of the reading. Therefore I deem it a duty 
to warn you, to put you on your guard against 
bad books. Bad books are the ruin of faith 
for the mind, the destruction of virtue for the 
heart, and for mind and heart an evil for which 
there is no excuse. 

I . The ruin of faith. — There is nothing which 
is more destructive of faith, religion, and Chris- 



Bad Books. 99 

tian piety than the multitude of unhealthy 
books and journals which circulate to-day in 
the world. The Council of Trent has declared 
that one of the most powerful means employed 
by the heretics of the sixteenth century to 
attack the truth were the books and pamphlets 
which were spread broadcast at a very small 
price. To-day, just the same as three hundred 
years ago, the same means are employed by 
Satan to combat the Church of Christ and to 
ruin faith in souls. 

Error, falsehood, calumny, hypocrisy, and 
sarcasm have alternately done their work 
against the truths and the teaching of the 
Catholic Church. We find these characteris- 
tics in all the literary productions of infidel- 
ity and free thought. Error, which comes 
from a profound ignorance of Catholic teach- 
ing, even of the simple catechism. In these 
books, nature, destiny, and chance take the 
place of God, the Eternal Spirit, Infinite Sanc- 
tity, the Creator and Sovereign Master of all 
things. After error comes the lying, effron- 
tery without disguise, making science an arm 
against revelation, and it is this same false- 
hood which distorts both sacred and profane 
history and excites the multitudes against the 
Church. There are the grossest and most 
odious calumnies retailed, calculated to destroy 



loo Bad Books. 

virtue, charity, and respect for priests and re- 
ligious. Again, it is hypocrisy which is hidden 
in little pamphlets, to turn away souls from 
the practices of Catholic faith. Sarcasm is 
also not unfrequently employed to cover the 
Church and all that is sacred or holy with 
ridicule. To give you a proof of what I ad- 
vance, you have only to open the first book 
or magazine which falls into your hands. 
When, therefore, you see those poisoned books 
and papers in the hands of every one, how can 
it be otherwise than that faith is shaken and 
finally extinguished ? What poison more com- 
mon, more pronounced, or sadder in its results? 
2. The ricin of virtue. — While bad books are 
the ruin of faith, they are also the ruin of vir- 
tue. We cannot tell the ravages which they 
daily make in hearts w^hich should love God 
above all things. See, for example, a young 
woman of good family, innocent, pure, and 
faithful. Her husband regards her as an idol. 
A man of the world, a reader of romances, a 
constant visitor of the theatre, a lover of ad- 
venture, visits her and places in her hands a 
book, which he says is at once beautiful and 
interesting. The lady accepts the book and 
reads it. What passes in her heart and mind 
I will not attempt to say. To relate the most 
scandalous stories, to despise honor, morality. 



Bad Books. loi 

and modesty, the great and noble virtues of 
domestic life, to place vice in honor and pre- 
sent it under the most seductive colors— this 
seems to be the aim of the novelist and the 
other writers who deluge the city and country 
with their unclean and trashy works. How is 
it possible for a mind or heart to remain pure 
after reading those pages in which there is 
only question of intrigue, deceit, and all the 
refinements of degrading and debasing pas- 
sions? It is a well-known fact that many go 
so far as to neglect their duties — even the most 
important — that they may follow those infa- 
mous narratives to the end. These pages ex- 
hale a poison which is certain death to all who 
read them, a poison which is so powerful that 
no virtue can resist it. 

3. For mind and heart an evil without excuse, — 
Whatever may be said of the evils produced 
by bad reading, there are some who will em- 
ploy pretexts, more or less specious, to justify 
them in reading everything which may fall 
into their hands. We must not forget that a 
formal law of the Church absolutely forbids 
Catholics to read books or journals which at- 
tack faith and morals. Even a priest cannot 
read such works without the permission of the 
Holy See. How then can a layman think he 
is exempted from the rules of the Index ? But 



I02 Bad Books. 

it may be urged that the author is celebrated. 
Would you, therefore, take poison in the shop 
of a pharmacist just because he has a reputa- 
tion ? But the book is written in an inimitable 
style, and I read it to adopt a beautiful phrase- 
ology. Yet how many books are better writ- 
ten, and you do not read them because they are 
good. And again, should a person take a 
draught of hemlock from a golden cup, would 
he not be mortally poisoned? Would you 
plunge a poniard in your heart because the 
blade is of precious metal? But I read 
through curiosity. Eve looked upon the for- 
bidden fruit through curiosity, and curiosity 
inflamed her appetite, and we know what the 
result has been for her and for ourselves. 
No, you cannot plead excuse or pretext of any 
kind. You are guilty if you read bad books 
or journals — yes, more guilty than they who 
sell or propagate them. And as for those who 
write them — well, they will, one day, wish that 
human justice could shield them from the in- 
exorable justice of God. 



Human Respect. 103 

INSTRUCTION XIX. 

HUMAN RESPECT. 

'*Be not made the bond-slaves of men." — i. Cor. viii. 23. 

LIBERTY is one of those blessings which 
men are most anxious to acquire, When 
• • • they possess it, how jealously they pre- 
serve it! And with what enthusiasm they 
speak of it! But oh, how often is liberty la- 
mentably abused! Yes, we repeat, long live 
liberty! Man has not been created to be a 
slave. Christ our Saviour has come on earth 
precisely to liberate us from the slavery of 
the devil, and to make us free. The Church 
also has been established to withdraw us from 
the tyranny of the great ones of the earth. 
This twofold liberty of soul and body St. Paul 
gave to the faithful at Corinth, and he exhorted 
them to preserve it, and never to become the 
slaves of men. He said to them : " Be not made 
the bond-slaves of men. '' And yet, how does it 
happen that with this instinctive love of liberty 
there are still so many slaves among us? Yes, 
there are men, Christian men, who blush be- 
cause of their baptism, and they do not dare 
to fulfil their religious duties. There are men. 
Christian men, who are intimidated by the im- 



I04 Human Respect. 

becile smile of a freethinker or the senseless 
statement of some arrogant ignoramus. 

To these trembling, fearful persons I wish to 
say, that the human respect of which they are 
the slaves is a folly, a cowardice, and a crime. 

I. A folly, — What should we say of a man 
who would refuse to follow the rules of good 
sense, and who does everything contrary to 
the rule which reason prescribes? Why, we 
should say that he was an idiot and a fool. 
Now, you are a Christian, a privileged child of 
God, Who has created you and preserved you, 
and is the absolute Master of your body and 
soul and all you possess. The most ordinary 
good sense will tell you that you owe to this 
God your homage, your love, your devotion, 
and your gratitude. To the man who has ren- 
dered you the least service you would not 
wish to be uncivil. You would, at least, re- 
turn your sincere thanks. Furthermore, you 
would not hesitate to thank him publicly. 
Still, there are some who do not dare to fre- 
quent the church, or to appear at the public 
exercises, or to pronounce the holy name of 
Jesus, just because there are others who do 
not do these things. There are some who 
neglect to confess their sins or make their 
Easter duty, and to fulfil their other du- 
ties of religion, through fear of being re- 



Human Respect. 105 

marked, or of being exposed to the criticism 
of people whom they justly despise. In a 
word, through human respect they do not dare 
to express their gratitude to God. It is noth- 
ing short of folly to act against all the lights 
of reason, which tell us that it is just and right 
and proper to publicly honor and thank our 
Sovereign Master. Again, by huinan respect 
you sacrifice your soul, your happiness, and 
your glory for eternity to the caprices or rail- 
leries of people to whom you owe nothing, 
who have no claim on you whatever. It is of 
slaves to human respect that the psalmist has 
said : " They trembled with fear when there 
was no reason to fear.'* 

2. A cowardice. — The keenest injury, per- 
haps the greatest outrage, which one may in- 
flict on another is to apply to him the name 
of coward. Yet the slave to human respect 
merits this appellation from every point of 
view. The coward is one who is wanting in 
courage, or who lacks strength of will; and 
the weaker his enemy, and the more shame- 
ful is the burden which he accepts, the more 
cowardly he is. Now, I ask, where is the 
strength or courage of that man who does not 
dare to fulfil his religious duties — those same 
duties which are daily performed by multitudes 
of women and children ? Whom does he fear? 



io6 Human Respect. 

Does he see, as the martyrs did, tyrants or 
fiends in human form with shining sv/ords or 
burning torches? By no means; but only 
weak and timid men like himself, who v^ould 
not put a finger upon him. At most, in a 
cowardly undertone, they will call him de- 
vout, hypocrite, or Jesuit in disguise, etc., etc. 
This, however, seems to be enough to make 
him deaf to the voice of conscience, forgetful 
of the menaces of God, as well as the promises 
which He has often made. The slave to hu- 
man respect permits his dignity, honor, reason, 
liberty of thought and word and action to be 
enchained. Instead of accepting the paternal 
authority of God he submits to the caprice of a 
thousand tyrants ! His slavery is all the more 
shameful, since he bows down before the vilest 
and basest passions of those whom he fears, 
as they are generally not only impious men, 
but also corrupt. 

3. A crime, — Be not deceived. Human re- 
spect is not only foolish and cowardly, it is 
more: it is a crime. It is even a kind of 
apostasy and idolatry. The Christian who 
was dragged by a tyrant to the foot of an idol 
was looked upon as guilty of apostasy if he 
consented to burn incense before it. Are you 
less criminal — you who renounce your God 
through human respect, and not through fear of 



Human Respect. 107 

death? You area perjurer, since you violate 
all your engagements. Did you not promise 
at baptism to remain faithful to Jesus Christ 
and take Him for a model ? To-day you blush 
for Him and His doctrine, and you expose 
yourself to be denied by Him before His 
Father. Hear His words : '' He who will deny 
Me before men, I will deny him before My 
Father Who is in heaven." And this will not 
be before some men only, but before the as- 
sembled world, and you will be an object of 
confusion. You would excuse yourself by say- 
ing that you had preserved the faith in your 
heart, and that the concessions you made to 
the world were only apparent but not real. 

Our blessed Saviour declares that whoever 
is not openly with Him is against Him. You 
wish to please the world and not to distinguish 
yourself from the great number? St. Paul 
tells you that on these conditions you cannot 
be a servant of Jesus Christ. " Should I strive 
to please men I could not be a servant of 
Christ." Remember your glorious title of 
Christian and your immortal destiny. Take a 
pride in belonging to Christ and His Church. 
Courageously trample under your feet the idol 
of ridicule and human respect, and serve God 
generously. "To serve is to reign" in time 
and in eternity. 



io8 Co7iverston, 

INSTRUCTION XX. 

CONVERSION. 

"Delay not to be converted to the Lord." — Ecclus. 
V. 8. 

AS often as we read the pages of Holy 
Scripture we shall find the call for con- 
• • • version frequently repeated. God never 
ceases to recall sinners to Himself, or to win 
them to His service and His love. He wishes 
to save them. "God's will is our sanctifica- 
tion. *' For the man who has not entirely for- 
gotten that he has an immortal soul, and who 
has not renounced his hopes for eternal hap- 
piness, there is only one means of pleasing 
God and regaining his rights to his heavenly 
inheritance. This one means is to put in 
practice the advice which the Holy Spirit gives 
him: "Delay not to be converted to God." 
If he remains under the weight of his iniqui- 
ties, or sinks to sleep in his guilty habits and 
perseveres in his culpable indifference to all 
religious duty, then he exposes himself to 
final unhappiness. We will consider, there- 
fore, the nature, the qualities, and the motives 
of a true conversion. 

I. TIic nature. — What is conversion? It is 
a complete change in our life. It suggests 



Conversion. 109 

the idea of a return, a reform, and a trans- 
formation. What must the traveller do who 
has lost his way ? On reaching a certain point 
of his journey he discovers his error, or some 
charitable person warns him of his mistake ; 
at once he retraces his steps until he has 
gained the proper pathway. When the work- 
man has made an error in his calculations, or 
has used defective materials, he at once stops 
the work and resumes his labors under better 
conditions. What does the laborer do whose 
field produces only poor or indifferent fruit? 
He begins by transforming and enriching the 
soil, that he may reap an abundant harvest. 
These are only so many comparisons to make 
us understand in what conversion consists 
from a spiritual point of view. 

For the proud and haughty conversion 
means humility and only a just estimate of his 
worth. For the avaricious, a complete detach- 
ment of his heart from that inordinate love of 
earthly goods and the practice of alms accord- 
ing to his means. For the envious, no more 
jealousy of his neighbor, and to bless God for 
all He has been pleased to grant to others. 
For the voluptuous, a full renunciation of his 
pleasures, and an earnest effort to become 
chaste and pure in his thoughts, words, and 
actions. For the intemperate, to practise 



no Conversion, 

sobriety and self -mortification. For the wilful 
and vindictive, to become meek and humble 
of heart and pardon the injuries done him. 
For the idle, a love for labor and to bear fatigue 
heroically. For the worldly, to repress his 
luxury and curtail his foolish extravagance. 
For the blasphemer, to correct his vile hSbit. 
For the profaner of holy-days, to cease from 
all labor and perform works of piety on these 
days. Conversion is to renounce a criminal, 
worldly, or useless life, and begin a new life 
according to the principles of Christianity and 
the rules of the Gospel. To be converted we 
must pass from evil to good, from good to 
better, and from a better to a perfect life. 
Conversion thus understood is absolutely nec- 
essary for every sinner. It is a pressing need 
for languishing and arid souls. •For the just 
conversion is an increase of merit, which will 
be worthy of magnificent reward. 

2 . Qualities, — Conversion is true and genuine 
when it is sincere ^ entire^ efficacious^ and persever- 
ing. Our conversion will be sincere when it 
is not limited by some exterior demonstrations, 
but if it springs from the heart which has 
been touched by grace and disposed to do 
everything to repair the injury done to God 
by sin. To be entire conversion should omit 
nothing in the fulfilment of the precepts or 



Conversion, in 

duties. A man would not be entirely con- 
verted who merely restored ill-gotten goods to 
their owner, or fulfilled the precepts of Easter ; 
he must also abandon his bad companions and 
the dangerous occasions which induced him to 
commit sin. Conversion must be efficacious, 
that is to say, it should be manifest in works. 
It should employ those means which have 
been indicated, to repair the past, to assure 
the present, and be a guaranty for the future. 
In a word, efficacious conversion may be rec- 
ognized if you are careful to expiate the past 
by penance, to repair scandal by good exam- 
ple, and to be watchful lest you enter upon 
those occasions which have hitherto caused 
you to fall into sin. 

Our conversion should be also constant and 
persevering. Should we confess our sins and 
receive Holy Communion at Easter, or on the 
occasion of a mission or retreat, and quickly 
fall again into our old habits, this cannot be 
the sign of a true conversion. It will not- 
suffice for the traveller to begin his journey : 
he must continue if he would reach his desti- 
nation. It is even so with our conversion. It 
is only the beginning of the journey to heaven, 
but constant perseverance is the essential con- 
dition of arriving at this blissful termination. 

3. Motives. — In fine, conversion is necessary, 



112 Convei'sion, 

and this conversion should begin at once. And 
why ? Because now you have the time, the grace, 
and the g-ood will. These three circumstances 
are absolutely necessary for every sinner to 
return to God. Time : to-day is yours to em- 
ploy in the service of God and the care of 
your eternal salvation, but you cannot count 
on to-morrow or next week or next year or at 
the end of life. " If, therefore, to-day you 
hear the voice of God, harden not your hearts." 
Grace is now yours, and at this moment is 
waiting to enter your heart. The word which 
you now hear is the word, yes, the very voice 
of God Himself. This voice urges and en- 
treats you: "Son, give Me thy heart." But, 
woe to you if you refuse to accept it! God 
will one day say to you : '' I have called you in 
the acceptable time." I have expected from 
you one single word of repentance. I was dis- 
posed to receive you with open arms, to pardon 
you everything, and still you have remained 
deaf to my invitation. Good will : now you 
have this good will, but if you postpone your 
return to God, a long established habit of evil, 
vice, and crime deeply rooted, and countless 
insurmountable obstacles will take away not 
only your good will, but even the thought of 
serious reflection and the necessary change 
of life to be truly converted. " With desola- 



Exam{natio77 of Conscience. 113 

tion is the earth made desolate, because there 
is no one that considers in his heart." 

Therefore, do not postpone your conversion 
until some other time. Now, this very day, 
return to God; be converted to Him, and live 
in such a manner that you may be truly worthy 
of the recompense which Jesus Christ has 
promised only to His good and faithful ser- 
vants. 



INSTRUCTION XXI. 

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. 

'*I will recount to Thee all my years in the bitterness of 
my soul." — Is. xxxviii. 15. 

THE king Ezechias was miraculously healed 
of a mortal malady, and was assured by 
• • • the prophet Isaias that the Lord had 
granted him fifteen years more of life. This 
signal favor was for him another reason for 
humiliating himself before his Creator, and 
for recounting, in the bitterness of his soul, 
all his thoughts and w^ords and works. The 
Christian should have this same holy disposi- 
tion, since he wishes to be reconciled to God, 
and to prepare himself by the sacrament of 
penance to obtain the pardon of his sins. 
This return to God, this examination of con- 



114 Examination of Conscience. 

science, this review of conduct, particularly 
merits your attention, because the integrity 
and the sincerity of your confession depend 
upon it. On this examination of conduct also 
depend the extent of your repentance and 
resolutions for the future. " I will recount to 
Thee all my years, in the bitterness of my 
soul." 

You should, therefore, be penetrated with 
the sentiments contained in these words, and 
should meditate on the necessity, the qualities, 
and the rules which you should observe in the 
good examination of your conscience. 

I. The necessity, — Let us say at once that an 
examination of conscience is a strict scrutiny 
of all our sins, with the intention of declaring 
them in the sacred tribunal of penance. That 
this preliminary examination is absolutely 
necessary the holy Council of Trent teaches 
in the most precise terms : '' It is necessary for 
penitents to declare in confession all the griev- 
ous sins they can recall after a diligent exam- 
ination." It will not suffice to confess our sins 
in a general way ; we must reveal them one 
by one, distinctly, their number, species, and 
circumstances which are notably aggravating. 
It is, therefore, necessary to make a detailed 
examination. Contrition, too, must extend to 
all the sins we have committed ; and how shall 



Examination of Conscience, 115 

we repent of those sins which we do not know ? 
The necessity of amending and correcting our 
life, of forming good resolutions for the future, 
requires the knowledge of our past sins, that we 
may not commit them again. After confession 
our conscience should be tranquil, without 
trouble or anxiety. It is only a serious exam- 
ination which can give us this tranquillity and 
assurance of the sincerity and integrity of our 
confession. In fine, to confess our sins with- 
out suitable preparation, without having made 
an examination with all the care which we 
should bring to a matter of such great impor- 
tance, would expose us to make a defective or 
invalid confession. For the sake of illustra- 
tion, we may employ a comparison. We have 
a spiritual account to settle with God, just as a 
material account should be arranged with our 
creditor. When an account is presented to us 
for settlement we do not pay our money in a 
careless, haphazard manner; we are careful to 
read each item of the account, and verify the 
addition of the sum, and thus our business 
is settled satisfactorily, without detriment to 
either party engaged. We should treat the 
affairs of our conscience with at least the 
same attention we give to the ordinary mat- 
ters of our daily life. 

2. Qualities, — A good examination of con- 



ii6 Examination of Conscience. 

science should be sincere, diligent, and me- 
thodical. 

Sincerity consists in the desire to know and 
avow all our sins, just as they are in the eyes 
of God : our most secret thoughts and desires, 
our words and deeds of whatever kind they 
may be — all should be the object of a sincere 
examination. God knows all and sees all. It 
is impossible to conceal anything from Him. 
Why then should we not examine our con- 
science frankly and fully ? Hence David says : 
"Against Thee only have I sinned, and in Thy 
sight have I done evil." 

A diligent examination demands that we em- 
ploy all the care which we usually bring to a 
serious and important matter. The Gospel 
tells us that a woman has lost a drachma ; see 
what diligence she employs to find it. 

We must also give a suitable time to this 
examination, in proportion to the time which 
has elapsed since the last confession. 

It is not only good, but useful, to perform 
this duty with method. This will render the 
examination comparatively easy, and will be 
the means of avoiding disorder, confusion, and 
incoherence. In fact, it will enable us to avoid 
everything which not infrequently makes con- 
fession a true torment for the penitent and the 
confessor. Your examination will be methodi- 



Exainination of Conscience. 117 

cal if you go through successively the com- 
mandments of God and the Church, the deadly 
sins, the particular duties of your age, your 
condition, your state of life, to give to your- 
self a true account of the faults you may have 
committed. 

3. Rules for a good examination, — The practi- 
cal rules for a good examination consist, first, 
in placing yourself in the presence of God, and 
imploring the light of the Holy Spirit to weigh 
well the thoughts, the desires, and the most 
secret dispositions of our heart. We should 
say with the prophet: " Lord, give light to my 
eyes, that I may not sleep in death. " Secondly, 
we should recall the faults with which our con- 
science is most heavily laden. Ordinarily, 
these faults will be the first which w411 present 
themselves to our memory and which will pro- 
foundly humiliate us before God. Then let us 
see if we have been faithful to the good reso- 
lutions taken in our last confession. Is it not 
probable that if we have forgotten them we will 
fall again into the same habits ? For the most 
part the sins for which we must reproach our- 
selves have their source in our desires or the 
dominant vice. We should strive to know this 
well. This will be for us the thread which 
will conduct and guide us through the intrica- 
cies of conscience. Happy shall we be if we 



ii8 Death of the Sinner. 

make a severe examination of our faults before 
God! Happier still shall we be if this ex- 
amination be accompanied by sorrow and bit- 
terness of heart, like that of the holy King 
Ezechias : '' In the bitterness of my soul I 
will recount my days." Our examination will 
then be for us the prelude of pardon and the 
pledge of eternal reconciliation. 



INSTRUCTION XXII. 

DEATH OF THE SINNER. 

"The death of the wicked is very evil." — Ps. xxxiii.22. 

DEATH is so terrifying that the most cour- 
ageous and fearless man is struck with 
• • • fear at the mere remembrance of it. The 
most holy souls tremble at the thought of 
death. Not, indeed, that they are not disposed 
to accept it, even as Christ the Saviour did, as a 
supreme act of expiation and to satisfy eternal 
justice, which has been offended by sin ; but 
they fear death because it is immediately fol- 
lowed by the inexorable judgments of God, 
Who will demand an account of the slightest 
imperfections and the use which we shall 
have made of the least of His graces. One 
single thought alone can assure them at that 



Death of the Sinner, 119 

terrible moment, and that is the infinite mercy 
of Him Who has declared that He wishes not 
the death of a sinner, but his life. But what 
shall we say of the death of the impenitent 
sinner- — the sinner who has become hardened, 
and, as it were, petrified in his evil ways? 
What a death will it be, O my God ! Thou 
hast revealed it to us by a single word of Holy 
Scripture. It will be horrible, terrible ! '' The 
death of the sinner is most lamentable." Yes, 
it w^ill be horrible by the regret for the past, 
by the anguish of the present, and by the de- 
spair and hopelessness for the future. 

I. By regret for the past, — There are to-day 
many men who have forgotten God, or v/ho 
have outraged or despised His holy name. In 
their discourses and writings they have vilified 
Him. They have regarded Him as some old 
phantom, whose name should not be even 
mentioned in the schools. And now one of 
these men, who, having denied his baptism, 
and having made for himself a god of money, 
honors, and vile pleasures, through sickness or 
old age is lying on his death-bed. His days 
are counted, death has come. Willingly or 
unwillingly he must submit to the universal 
decree. No more occupations, no more busi- 
ness or pleasures will come to absorb him, or 
serve as a distraction for him. At last, in 



I20 Death of the Sinner, 

sight of death, he sees the nothingness of the 
world and the reality of those things which are 
eternal. That which he was wont to call the 
prejudice of childhood, superstition, nonsense, 
he now recognizes by its true name. It is 
Christianity with its beliefs, its precepts, its 
duties, which he has trampled under his feet. 
He now sees his joys, his pleasures, his good 
cheer in their true character — most sinful. 
That proud, ambitious, avaricious, voluptuous, 
and impious man, the pretended freethinker 
and enemy of God's Church, now cries out m 
the depth of his conscience, like Antiochus: '' I 
now remember all the evil I have done." The 
passions which once flattered him turn against 
him as so many avenging poniards : " Thy 
malice condemns thee.*' 

2. By the anguish of the present, — If the death 
of the sinner will be rendered dreadful by the 
remembrance of the past, it will be still more 
dreadful by the anguish of the present. The 
moment has at length arrived when he must 
bid farewell to the accumulated wealth, the 
sumptuous dwellings, the costly equipages, 
and the splendid banquets. Constant enjoy- 
ment was the dream of this ambitious man. 
He saw that he was well established in the 
world, his income was more than enough and 
daily increasing ; he was flattered every hour 



Death of the Sinner. 121 

in his earthly paradise — and yet, in the twink- 
ling of an eye he is despoiled of everything 
which his heart loved. What an anguish to 
part from those things which he adored and to 
which he devoted every effort of his life ! 

Parents, relatives, friends, companions of 
his pleasures, and accomplices in his luxuries 
are present, and are the saddened spectators of 
his agony. He must now bid them all an 
eternal farewell. From their lips the unfort- 
unate man hears only the ordinary commiser- 
ations and the every- day words of condolence. 
This is the last act of a commonplace and 
odious comedy. Once the curtain has fallen, 
and the last sound of the play has been silenced, 
then the eternal hisses will begin which have 
been reserved for all the enemies of God and 
of Christ, His Son. Torn by force from all his 
earthly surroundings, from all his transitory 
fame and glory, the sinner must suffer the 
anguish of being separated from his body, 
which had been his only idol during life. To 
this body he has sacrificed his soul. In a few 
instants it will be only a repulsive corpse, 
w^hich even his best friends will hasten to bury 
several feet in the earth. The sculptured 
marble or the rich and pompous mausoleum 
will not protect him from the w^orms. They 
will take their nourishment from his pampered 



122 Death of the Sinner. 

body. But the poor soul, alas ! is the food for 
fire eternal. 

3. Despair for the future, — We are speaking 
of the sinner's soul. But during life has 
he not wished to ignore it? Yes, he has 
wished to ignore it and made every effort to 
forget it, but his reason and his conscience, in 
presence of death, oblige him to recognize it. 
The future which he denied and ridiculed so 
much has now come with all its reality. The 
sinner sees, seated on His throne, resplendent 
with glory, that Jesus Whom the Catholic 
creed calls " the Judge of the living and the 
dead." He hears the first words of accusation 
addressed to him : '' Give an account of your 
stewardship. " Servant of God, give an account 
of the goods confided to your administration. 
These goods were not yours. They were a 
trust only. What have you done with your 
soul, your reason, those faculties, those talents 
which you should have employed for the best 
interests and the glory of your Master? He 
sees himself without excuse, and condemned 
without a single extenuating circumstance. 
He hears, also, the awful, eternal sentence 
which will resound in his ears always : " Depart 
from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire!" 

His predecessors are already in this fire, and 
their cry of despair has reached his ears. 



The Prodigal, 123 

There is the bad rich man, who expiates his 
immoralities, his luxuries, and his avarice in 
these devouring and inextinguishable Jfiames: 
"I am tormented in these flames." There is 
the multitude of tyrants, persecutors, assassins, 
seducers, and blasphemers, whose roaring and 
gnashing of teeth resound throughout their 
infernal abode. 

Confronted with this despairing prospect, 
the impenitent sinner breathes out his last 
sigh on earth. They who are the witnesses of 
such a death depart from the bedside and re- 
peat instinctively, again and again, that there 
is nothing more frightful than the death of 
the sinner. Instinctively, also, they turn to 
God and ask of Him that best of blessings — 
that when He shall call them hence they may 
die in His friendship and grace : " May my 
soul die the death of the just." 



INSTRUCTION XXIII. 

THE PRODIGAL. 
"A certain man had two sons." — St. Luke xv. ii. 

OF all the parables in the Gospel narrative 
there is certainly not one which presents 
• • • to us the infinite mercy of God toward 
sinners in a more striking manner than the 



124 T^^^ Prodigal. 

parable of the prodigal. This man who had 
two sons is God Himself, and these sons are 
all mankind. The elder son, who is always 
respectful and submissive to his father, and 
who never leaves the paternal house, represents 
the just; while the younger, proclaiming his 
liberty and independence, and demanding his 
portion of the inheritance, and departing for 
the far-off country, is a most faithful picture 
or image of the sinner. The story of the 
prodigal is the story of our own life. Let us 
meditate and think well on it; and if we find 
that we have imitated this rebellious son in 
his guilty conduct let us imitate him also in his 
repentance. Moreover, we should thank Our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for having re- 
vealed to us, in this parable, all the tenderness 
and all the mercy and love of which His Sacred 
Heart is capable. 

We will follow the prodigal in his departure 
from his father's house, also in his return and 
in his reception. 

I. Li his departure, — Our blessed' Saviour 
tells us that a father had two sons whom he 
loved equally, lavished on them the same care 
and affection, and reserved for them the same 
inheritance. And, in fact, does not God love 
all men ? Does He not distribute to them the 
same blessings, and is it not His wish to save 



The Prodigal. 125 

each and every one? And the younger son 
said to his father: ''Give me the portion of 
the inheritance which belongs to me/' The 
younger son, he who has greatest need of the 
love, attention, watchfulness, and assistance 
of his father, makes the demand : " Give me 
the part which is mine/' He is carried away 
by the inexperience of youth, by passion, by 
rashness. He is unwilling to live longer un- 
der the authority of his father. He presumes 
on a right which he has not, and arrogantly 
demands an inheritance which is not yet his 
own. On examination we shall discover that 
this is precisely the conduct of many a Chris- 
tian to-day. The Christian forgets oftentimes 
his baptism and confirmation, his first com- 
munion, and all the graces he has received 
from God. He is unwilling to bear the burden 
of religion and to submit to its painful practices, 
and longs and sighs for freedom and independ- 
ence. But the prodigal quickly leaves his 
father's house, after having gathered together 
all that belonged to him, and then departs to 
a far-off country. Like to the prodigal the 
sinner abandons the Church, renounces all his 
pious practices, and goes far, very far away 
into the dark region of impiety, incredulity, 
and all worldly folly. Then he enters upon 
a life which is a continual round of ex- 



126 The Prodigal. 

cesses of every kind, and in a little while he 
has dissipated all that he had for his sub- 
sistence. Fortune, health, honor, generous 
sentiments, all have been swallowed up in 
intemperance, in play, and in luxury. In that 
unknown country, where the unfortunate 
prodigal cast his lot, famine comes with all its 
consequent horrors. At the same time his 
appetite is most insatiable, and his vices have 
opened in his heart an abyss which nothing 
can fill. He feels the torment of hunger. 
What a condition for him I He, the petted 
son of the household, with every wish grati- 
fied, has not now even a piece of bread! He 
is reduced to the last extremity. He engages 
himself to a resident of that desolate country, 
and he now becomes a keeper of swine. Is 
not this a humiliation for him ? Yes, but there 
are still greater depths to which he must de- 
scend. He sees the swine gorging themselves 
with their vile nourishment, and he, too, feels 
the pangs of hunger and wishes to eat of this 
food which has been prepared for the vilest 
beasts. There is no one there who will give 
him even the absolute necessaries of life. Poor 
prodigal! — we may add, poor sinner! he has 
become the most unhappy of men; he has 
descended lower than the animals which are 
regarded as most unclean. 



The Prodigal. 127 

2. His return, — The depth of his misery, 
his complete abandonment, and the solitude in 
which he is, prompt him to serious reflection. 
He remembers the abundance which the ser- 
vants enjoy in his father's house. He com- 
pares their condition with his own. He says: 
" How many servants in my father's house 
abound with bread, and I here perish with 
hunger?" And so it is with the sinner. He 
sees the void which sin has made in his soul. 
He sees also the sad solitude which surrounds 
him, and recalls the happiness, of so many 
Christians who have remained faithful to God, 
enjoying peace and happiness, while he is ab- 
andoned to all the horrors of despair. Yet he 
has not the courage of the prodigal to arise and 
return to his father and ask his pardon. " I 
will arise," said the prodigal, " and I will go to 
my father. " He now recognizes he was wrong 
to leave his father's house. However, he will 
return. He had, it is true, demanded his in- 
heritance with greatest irreverence, but he will 
return and say in all humility : " Father, I have 
sinned against heaven and against you.'* He 
has been a most unworthy son. He considers 
himself honored if they will only regard him 
as a servant : " Make me one of thy hired 
servants." Promptly and generously he acts 
on his resolution : " And rising up, he goes to 



128 The Prodigal 

his father." O sinner! behold the senti^ 
ments of repentance, humility, and confidence 
which should lead you to God the Father, 
Whom you have so shamefully abandoned. 
However far you have wandered, however 
deeply you have sinned, after the example of 
the prodigal generously and courageously 
say: " I will arise and go to my Father.*' 

3. His reception, — We now see the prodigal 
journeying to his father's house. What wel- 
come can he expect, or what welcome will be 
given him? It is now that pity and mercy 
will be manifested in all their magnificence. 
Never forget that, in the parable, God is the 
father. When the prodigal was still far 
off, his father saw him and was touched 
with compassion for him. " And running 
toward him, he cast himself upon his neck and 
tenderly kissed him.'' There is no question 
of reprimands justly merited, of severe re- 
proaches, or of salutary chastisements. The 
repentant son humbles himself, avows his 
faults, and returns w'ith confidence. This is 
all that the justice of the father asks. In his 
heart there is only pity and mercy. He said 
to the servants : *' Bring to rny son the garment 
of his first innocence, place on his finger the 
ring which is the insignia of his rank. Put 
sandals on his feet, kill the fatted calf and 



Firm Purpose of Amendme^it, 129 

serve it. Let the festival begin, for my son, 
whom we thought dead, is come to life; he 
was lost, but now he is found.'* Every one 
in the household participates in the joy of this 
father, whose heart is filled with happiness. 

This touching scene is every day renewed in 
the Church of Jesus Christ, and in each sincere 
conversion we see the prodigal returning to 
his Father's house. When sinners leave the 
far-off country of their iniquities God, the lov- 
ing Father, even anticipates their return. He 
casts Himself on their necks, presses them to 
His Sacred Heart, and as a sign of perfect rec- 
onciliation he bids them to sit down at the 
sacred banquet. This is, here on earth, the 
pledge of that banquet without end to which 
He will invite them in a blessed eternity. 



INSTRUCTION XXIV. 

FIRM PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT. 
"Go and sin no more." — St. John viii. 11. 

THESE words were addressed by our 
blessed Saviour to a woman whom He had 
• • • absolved from a grave sin. They clearly 
express the dispositions which should animate 
the sinner who has just received the pardon- 
9 



130 Firm Purpose of Ai7ie72dinent. 

ing of his sins in the tribunal of penance. 
Repentance for past faults cannot be true and 
sincere without a firm resolution to avoid 
them for the future, and without the good 
resolution of never falling again into sin. The 
penitent should represent to himself our 
blessed Saviour in the person of the priest, 
saying : '' Behold the burden of your iniquities 
is taken away. You are now pure and free 
from every stain. Go, but be careful to sin 
no more in the future." He should put in 
practice what he has said in his act of contri- 
tion: "My God, I would rather die than oflfend 
Thee mortally." We will consider the neces- 
sity of a firm purpose of amendment, the 
conditions it should have, and the means to 
render it efficacious. 

I. Necessity, — Ordinary good sense is suffi- 
cient to teach us that for one who has sinned 
there can be no true repentance or pardon 
if he will not promise to avoid for the future 
those faults for which he has asked absolution. 
Would a father pardon his child who would 
not promise better conduct in the future ? The 
master forgives the shortcomings of his ser- 
vant on the condition of better service in the 
future. The king grants a commutation of 
the punishment to the condemned only after a 
promise of amendment. And how can God, 



Fij'in Purpose of Amendment. 131 

Who is infinitely just and merciful, pardon 
sins if penitents will not form the resolution 
of never offending Him again? The Holy- 
Spirit by the mouth of the prophet Ezechiel 
tells us : " Cast away from you all your trans- 
gressions by which you have transgressed, and 
make to yourselves a new heart and a new 
spirit/' That is to say, separate yourself from 
sin and its occasions, and entirely change 
your affections, sentiments, and dispositions. 
Among all those sinners who have been con- 
verted you will not find a single one who has 
returned to the friendship and love of God 
without making the generous resolution of 
renouncing sin forever, and manifesting by 
the reform of his life the sincerity of his good 
resolution. A holy father says : " He who re- 
sumes his former habits while seeming to re- 
pent is not a penitent, but a man who deceives 
himself." St. Paul teljs the Galatians that 
God cannot be mocked with impunity, and " you 
will reap what you have sown." Through de- 
fect of firm purpose of amendment you Vv^ll 
make only an appearance of penance, you will 
trifle with the patience and mercy of God, you 
will not avoid the dangerous occasions, you 
will expose yourselves to the same dangers, 
you will reap what you have sown, and your 
inheritance will be that of the hypocrite. 



132 Firm Purpose of Amendment, 

2. Condition, — The firm purpose of which 
there is question is not merely a vague, indef- 
inite promise, or desire, or wish to do better 
for the future. No, more than that is neces- 
sary. There must be in the will a strong, 
firm, and generous resolve to die rather than 
to voluntarily fall into sin. True contrition 
supposes this. If you have the firm purpose 
never to offend God you will allow nothing to 
shake your determination. You will be in- 
fluenced neither by the attractions of the world 
nor its pleasures, neither by the violence of 
temptations nor by the difficulties you will find 
in the practice of virtue, nor by the rigors of 
a penitential life. You will say with David, 
" I have sworn and determined to keep the 
judgments of Thy justice.'* This firm pur- 
pose must extend to a flight from all mortal 
sin and to the observance of all the com- 
mandments of God and His Church. It will 
matter little to a sick man if he is cured of 
nine mortal maladies if there is still a tenth 
which will surely be the occasion of his death. 
It will serve you nothing to avoid blasphemy 
if you will persevere in the commission of 
other grievous sin. With the royal prophet 
you should say : '' Though I should live an 
eternity I am resolved, my God, to keep Thy 
holy law." It is not for a week, or a month, 



Firm Puj-pose of Amendment. 133 

or a year, but for your whole life, that you 
should resolve to renounce sin, and to serve 
God with your whole heart, your whole soul, 
and with all your strength. Your resolution 
will be efficacious if you employ those means 
which your confessor will suggest to insure 
your perseverance in good. 

3. Meafis. — And now what means shall we 
employ to obtain and preserve this firm pur- 
pose ? The first of all is prayer and confidence 
in God. To desire and to do good is a grace 
which cannot come to us except from our 
Father Who is in heaven. St. Paul says to the 
Philippians : '' It is God Who works in you to 
will and to accomplish.'' Ask, therefore, this 
good will. Our Lord assures you that He will 
grant it. But as the Apostle also teaches, you 
must co-operate with grace by making constant 
and generous efforts to be faithful to your 
resolutions. Act as if you had only your own 
strength to rely on, and pray as if you could 
do nothing without the assistance of grace. 

If you wish to have a powerful preservative 
against the danger of falling into sin, and 
of forgetting your good resolutions, follow 
the counsel which the Holy Spirit gives you in 
the book of Ecclesiasticus: " In all thy works 
remember thy last end, and thou shalt never 
sin.*' Yes, in all your works, in all the cir- 



134 Flight from Occasions of Sin. 

cumstances of your life, keep the remembrance 
of your last end — death, judgment, heaven, and 
hell. Think of the recompense you will one 
day receive for your fidelity here on earth, 
and to a certainty you will never sin, never do 
aught which will make you forfeit this reward. 
These grave and serious thoughts will be as a 
torrent of cold water thrown on the fires of 
concupiscence. Therefore, if you are constant 
in your good resolutions, faithful to your 
promises, unshaken in your firm purpose, you 
will merit to hear from the lips of our blessed 
Saviour the consoling words, " Well done, 
good and faithful servant, enter into the joy 
of thy Lord." 



INSTRUCTION XXV. 

FLIGHT FROM OCCASIONS OF SIN. 

"He that loveth danger shall perish in it." — Ecclus. 
iii. 27. 

A YOUNG man once asked of a pious soli- 
tary the best means to avoid sin and to 
• • • persevere in the service of God. He re- 
ceived this answer : The first means is to avoid 
sin, the second is to avoid sin, and the third 
is also to avoid all the occasions of sin. Does 
not daily experience teach us that the occasions 



Flight from Occasions of Sin. 135 

are, for the most part, the cause of the sins 
which are committed? Since our poor miser- 
able nature leads us to evil, what is neces- 
sary to make us succumb? A circumstance 
is sufficient — the frequentation of a place, the 
meeting of some particular person, the sight 
of some object which acts on our imagination, 
on our heart, on our will. Then we are led on 
to the commission of that which has been for- 
bidden by the law of God. When we reflect 
on the past, are we not compelled to avow it, 
that it was in this or that circumstance, on 
some special occasion, that our innocence was 
first shipwrecked, and that by the very same oc- 
casion we have ended, perhaps, by contracting 
the habit of sin ? We will then consider what 
has been the occasion of sin for us, the motives 
we have to avoid these occasions, and the pre- 
texts we allege for not flying from these occa- 
sions. 

I . What has been for us the occasion of sin ? — 
An occasion of sin is every external circum- 
stance which by itself or by our frailty leads 
us to offend God. A person whom you visit, 
and whose conversation is hostile to religion 
or virtue, a suspicious house, perverse friends, 
bad books, obscene pictures, scandalous shows, 
where impiety or immorality is paraded — 
these are so many bad occasions, so many 



136 Flight from Occasions of Sin. 

dangerous circumstances. The occasion is 
proximate if there is grave or probable danger 
of falling. It is remote if the danger is small. 
The occasion is absolute when it is dangerous 
for all without exception. The occasion is 
voluntary when it may be avoided easily, and 
involuntary if there is an impossibility of avoid- 
ing it or a very great difficulty. If we con- 
sider these several circumstances, it will be 
easy for each one to recognize what are the 
occasions of sin. Young men and women, 
you should fly from those friends whom you 
visit, and with whom you attend those guilty 
amusements and questionable places. Young 
people, those reunions, assemblies, dances, 
balls, and picnics are so many occasions of 
ruin to your purity and innocence ; you should 
avoid them. Those frivolous or immoral 
books, those journals which are hostile to re- 
ligion or to social order, what are they if not 
a subject of ruin for your faith and a positive 
perversion of your good sense? You should 
abandon them. This is an obligation im- 
posed on you by divine law, and this law may be 
summarized thus : '' Whoever finds himself in a 
proximate and voluntary occasion of sinning is 
obliged to renounce it, and if he will not re- 
nounce it he is unworthy and incapable of ab- 
solution.'* He is so unworthy that a priest 



Flight from Occasions of Sin, 137 

who is faithful to his duty should not and can- 
not absolve him. He is incapable of it, and 
should he obtain it fraudulently this absolution 
would be worthless and his sins would remain 
unpardoned. 

2. Motives to avoid the occasion of sin. — A first 
motive to avoid the occasion of sin is that it is 
absolutely necessary if we would obtain pardon. 
And how can one pretend to be sincerely con- 
verted unless he renounces that which is the 
cause of his return to evil? A sick man who 
wishes restoration to health w411 avoid the 
original cause of his sickness. Should one be 
so unfortunate as to fall from a precipice, he 
will not likely venture near the abyss. He 
who has escaped from drowning will hardly 
risk his life in a frail boat. 

Our blessed Lord Himself imposes the obliga- 
tion of courageously avoiding every occasion of 
sin. He says : '' If your eye should scandalize 
you, pluck it out, for it is better that one of your 
members should perish than to see your whole 
body cast into hell.'* There is no other alter- 
native, but either to renounce the occasions of 
sin or to perish eternally. We must either 
make the sacrifice of this person or that pleas- 
ure, or that house, or lose our soul, and this 
we know means despair and eternal punish- 
ment. 



133 Flight from Occasions of Sin. 

3. Pretexts, — Do you wish to avoid sin? Do 
you wish to save your soul? Then fly from 
the dangerous occasions of sin, cost what it 
may. And do not rely on the strength of your 
resolutions. '' Let him who stands take heed 
lest he fall." We should recall the life of 
David, "the man after God's heart," of Solo- 
mon, "the wisest of men," and of Peter, who 
had the weakness to deny his Master. 

But you say that you will have the assistance 
of God. That is true. He assisted Daniel 
when cast into the den of lions and the young 
Hebrews in the fiery furnace. But has He 
promised His help and grace to the rash man 
who seeks the occasion of sin and casts him- 
self headlong into it? Again, you allege a 
long perseverance in virtue ! But how many 
illustrious persons have there been, more ex- 
perienced and more holy than you, who have 
lost in a single occasion of sin all the merits 
and glory they had acquired during long years 
passed in the service of God? Our blessed 
Saviour has given to all the wise precept of vig- 
ilance. We should exercise a strict vigilance 
and not allow ourselves to be surprised. St. 
Peter tells us that the enemy is around us on 
every side, like a roaring lion seeking whom he 
may devour. Of all the means we have to per- 
severe in the grace of God and to preserve 



The Law of Jesus Christ. 139 

ourselves from sin the best and the surest is 
to fly from the dangerous occasions. When 
there is question of eternal salvation, there 
can be no evasion or subterfuge. " The king- 
dom of heaven suffers violence," and it is only 
by renouncing ourselves that we may become 
worthy of Jesus Christ our Saviour. 



INSTRUCTION XXVI. 

THE LAW OF JESUS CHRIST. 

"God, Who at sundr^^ times and in divers manners spoke 
in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in 
these days hath spoken to us by His Son." — Heb. i. i. 

FROM the beginning of the world God has 
constantly manifested His adorable will to 
• • • men. In the first pages of Genesis we 
see Him speaking to Adam and forbidding him 
to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and 
evil, under penalty of death. Later He gives 
His precepts and commands to the patriarchs 
personally or by ^is angels. To formulate 
His law and to give it to the people whom He 
had chosen among all the nations of the earth 
He selects Moses and clothes him with fullest 
authority. In the sequence of ages, even to 
the coming of the Messias, the prophets were 
commissioned to make known to men the de- 



140 The Law of Jesus Christ, 

crees, the promises, and the thread of the 
Sovereign Master of the universe. But Moses 
and the prophets were only the precursors of 
the Supreme Legislator Jesus Christ, and the 
old law was only a preparation for that perfect 
and immutable law which the Son of God 
would bring to the world. 

Now this law, which we must observe ex- 
actly if we wish to merit heaven, has certain 
characters which recommend it to our venera- 
tion and our love. It is holy, just, sweet, 
universal, and is eternal in its sanction. 

I. It is a holy lazu. — Sanctity is the essen- 
tial character of everything which emanates 
from God. Now, the law of Jesus Christ, as 
contained in the Gospel, promulgated in the 
world by the apostles, and preserved in its 
integrity by the Catholic Church, is holy be- 
cause its Author is sanctity itself. And it is 
holy in its effects, since it is given to men 
only to produce in them that sanctity of which 
Jesus is the model. The Christian who is 
faithful to this law, and who makes it the rule 
of his thoughts, his words, his works, and of 
all his conduct, can say with St. Paul: "I live, 
but it is not I who live, but it is Christ Who 
lives in me." 

' The duties which this law imposes toward 
God, toward our neighbor, toward ourselves. 



The Law of Jesus ChiHst. 141 

are the very duties which Jesus Himself was the 
first to accomplish. The good works which 
the law prescribes — fasting, alms, prayer, 
and works of charity — are so many means to 
realize sanctity in us. It is by the observance 
of this law that all the saints have preserved 
grace in this world, and by which they have 
arrived at eternal glory. 

2. A just law, — The law which Jesus our 
Saviour has given and the law promulgated 
by men are not at all comparable. Human 
laws are not unfrequently tainted by injus- 
tice, partiality, and tyranny, because they who 
framed them may be swayed by passion, blind- 
ness, jealousy, or incapacity. On the contrary. 
Our Lord and Saviour, Who is the thrice holy 
God, can ask of His creatures only that which is 
sovereignly just and reasonable. Is it not just 
to adore God, the creator and sovereign master 
of all things? Is it not just to love Him and 
thank and serve Him? Is it not just to love, 
respect, and assist our parents? Is it not 
just to obey those who are in authority? Is it 
not just to do no wrong to our neighbor, either 
in his soul, his body, his honor, or his goods? 
Is it not just to forbid all bad desires and 
actions? How could there be the least injus- 
tice in that which God prescribes, since He will 
judge even justice itself? 



142 The Law of Jesus Christ, 

3. A sweet law, — Unquestionably the law 
of God is a restraint upon the passions, which 
are impatient of all rule. Without doubt the 
law holds us under this salutary restraint, but 
our blessed Lord has imposed His law on us, 
not only for our acceptance, but that we 
should even desire its complete empire over 
us. '' Take My yoke upon you, for My yoke 
is sweet and My burden light." If the law of 
Christ were so hard, so cruel as the world 
sometimes pretends, how can we explain the 
joy and gladness which abounds in souls who 
are most faithful in the observance of the law ? 
See how the psalmist celebrates the happiness 
of those who live according to God's law! 
" Blessed are they who walk in the way of the 
Lord." 

4. A tiniversal laiv, — This law is not only 
the happiness of some privileged souls — it is 
the joy and consolation of all who observe it 
faithfully. There is no exception. Since Our 
Lord wishes the salvation of all men, He has 
given a law which will be suitable for all. It 
is universal and is within the power of all 
to observe it. King and subject, parent and 
child, rich and poor, powerful and weak, 
learned and ignorant, the healthful and the 
sick, Jew and Gentile, civilized and barbarian 
— all, without exception, will find in the law of 



The Law of Jesus Christ, 143 

Jesus Christ the rule of their conduct, and all 
by observing it will attain eternal happiness. 
Are there not in heaven now saints of all 
ages and conditions? And is it not by the 
fulfilment of this law that they have attained 
their incomparable glory? 

5. A lazv eternal in its sanction, — Just because 
the law of Christ is a holy, just, and sweet law, 
He has wished to give it a sanction which is 
worthy of it. Now, this sanction consists in 
the recompense attached to its fulfilment, and 
also the chastisement reserved for its violation. 
These rewards and chastisements are eternal. 
It must suffice for us to recall the last sen- 
tence of the Sovereign Legislator: "Come, ye 
blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom 
which has been prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world.'' Behold the recom- 
pense reserved for the faithful observers of 
His law! "Go, ye cursed, into everlasting 
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.'' 
Behold the punishment prepared for unhappy 
men who have found the law of God too heavy 
and too difficult for their uncontrolled passions ! 
In the presence of a sanction so clear and so in- 
evitable, I ask where is the man who will hesi- 
tate to submit himself with his whole heart to 
the. sweet and amiable law of Jesus Christ our 
Saviour and our God? 



144 Fidelity to Jesus Christ. 

INSTRUCTION XXVII. 

FIDELITY TO JESUS CHRIST. 
"Be thou faithful unto death." — Apoc. ii. lo. 

AMONG the many titles applied to Our Lord 
and Saviour in the Holy Scriptures Ave 
• • • find, very often, that He is styled the faith- 
ful God. The psalmist tells us that " the Lord 
is faithful in all things." St. Paul exclaims: 
*'God is faithful, and He will not allow us to 
be tempted beyond our strength." We must 
not be surprised, therefore, if fidelity is so 
often recommended to us in Holy Scripture. 
Let us strive to understand this. God calls us 
to testify by our love and fidelity to Him. By 
our vocation to Christianity, and by the multi- 
plied blessings we have received. He obliges 
us to keep an inviolable fidelity. What a 
sweet and noble obligation is imposed on us ! 

The fidelity which we owe to Christ our 
Saviour, the Sovereign King of souls, will be 
the object of this instruction. Since our King, 
Jesus Christ, has three glorious titles to our 
persevering fidelity, we will consider His au- 
thority, His power, and His majesty. 

I. His authority, — All power in heaven and 
on earth has been given to Christ our Saviour. 



Fidelity to Jesus Christ. 145 

His modest and sacred lips, which never spoke 
except in truth and in wisdom, will give us 
testimony of His authority. It is in virtue of 
this sovereignty that He has sent His apostles : 
"Go, all power is given to Me: teach all na- 
tions, teach them to observe all that I have 
commanded you." How can we refuse obedi- 
ence to this authority of God, which constitutes 
the sovereignty of Jesus Christ? Besides, 
what an honor and glory it is for us to submit 
ourselves in all things to Him Who is called 
" King of kings and Lord of lords.'* It is by 
Him that the masters of the earth reign and 
promulgate their just decrees. 

Hear the sweet voice of this Sovereign in- 
viting us to accept the yoke of His authority! 
''My yoke is sweet and my burden light.'' 
Ask of those who have separated themselves 
from the slavery of the world to be united 
irrevocably to Jesus Christ, and they will tell 
you that under His amiable authority they have 
found only glory, honor, independence, happi- 
ness, and peace. And if His authority will not 
be sufficient to render us faithful to Jesus, we 
must remember He has also the power. 

2. His pozvcr, — We read in the Gospel that 
God has given to Christ, His Son, the power 
to judge men. All who are on earth, power- 
ful and weak, rich and poor, learned and igno- 



146 Fidelity to Jesus Christ. 

rant, all must appear one day before the sove- 
reign tribunal. There is power and there is 
justice. We feel the empire of this power 
now, and we will feel it on the threshold of 
eternity. This force or power is now veiled 
and hidden. Jesus appears only under the 
eucharistic veil. During His mortal life He 
was a little child in the crib. He was the 
Good Shepherd. He was Jesus, meek and 
humble of heart. Then He w^ill be the lion 
of the tribe of Juda. He will be the Sovereign 
Master of the human race, and will show Him- 
self in all His glory and in all His majesty. 
Even in this world we are not without mani- 
fest proofs of the power of Jesus Christ. He it 
is Who defends the Church and sustains her 
against the gates of hell. Neither the sword 
of persecution, nor the cunning of heresy, nor 
the cowardice of apostasy, can disturb the 
Church : " The gates of hell shall not prevail 
against her.'* 

And is it not He Who sustains the just in 
their combats, and Who says : " Fear not, I 
have conquered the world"? What powerful 
motives we have to remain faithful, since 
without Him we can do nothing against the 
enemies of our salvation! These enemies, as 
we know by experience, are numerous, and we 
are not free from their assaults for a single 



Fidelity to Jesus Christ. 147 

instant. How great therefore, is our need 
of the power of our divine Chief to defend 
us! Ah, let us cry to Him as the apostles did 
when threatened by the fury of the tempest : 
"Master, save us, or we shall perish." 

3. His majesty and goodness, — We should not 
content ourselves by giving our homage to 
the power and authority of Jesus. We should 
strive also to recognize in Him w^hat com- 
mands our respect and love, viz.. His majesty 
and goodness. 

The people who saw and heard Him during 
His life on earth were astonished at the maj- 
esty which surrounded Him. They exclaimed 
that a greater prophet had never appeared in 
Israel. When He entered the Temple to expel 
the profaners of the holy place no one dared to 
resist Him. In the Garden of Olives at the 
very sound of His voice the lictors who were 
sent to seize Him fell to the earth as if by 
thunder-shock. But it is especially by His in- 
finite goodness that Jesus wishes to win the 
fidelity of our souls. Consider this amiable 
Master such as He appeared when on earth, 
living in the midst of men only to console them 
and to bless them, and say if there were ever 
beauty more ravishing or goodness more touch- 
ing than He manifested. Let each one per- 
sonally answer and say if he has not received 



148 Fidelity to Jesus Christ, 

untold blessings from His munificence and 
inexhaustible love. In fact, what good can 
there be, either in the order of nature or of 
grace, which does not come from this ever- 
flowing Source of mercy? We should remain 
faithful to our blessed Saviour, Who has Him- 
self given us the example of fidelity. We 
have promised Him this fidelity with an oath, 
solemnly. We should, therefore, ever be 
mindful of our engagements. 

We have the teaching of our Master : then 
let us both affirm and courageously defend it. 
'' I have believed what has been spoken to me." 
We have His precepts : then let them be the 
invariable rule of our conduct. " He who has 
My laws and observes them, he it is who loves 
Me." Fidelity is love in practice. We know 
the virtues of which He has given the example : 
humility, poverty, detachment, patience, char- 
ity toward our neighbor ; let us strive to imitate 
these virtues, which our blessed Lord Himself 
has practised. In fine, we should be faithful 
in all things even to death, and Jesus will be 
faithful to His promises and will recompense 
us eternally ; He will be *' our reward exceed- 
ing great." 



Loi'e for Jesus. 149 

INSTRUCTION XXVIII. 

LOVE FOR JESUS. 

" If any man does not love Our Lord Jesus Christ let him 
be anathema." — i. Cor. xvi. 22. 

THESE words were indeed most suitable 
for the great Apostle to employ, since he 
seemed to live only to make our Lord and 
Saviour loved by men. The love which he 
entertained for his ]\Iaster was so ardent that 
he spoke of Him in his exhortations and in his 
epistles with a kind of ecstasy. In his writ- 
ings to the first Christians he calls himself 
"the servant of Jesus Christ," and ''the cap- 
tive of Jesus Christ." In a certain passage of 
his Epistles to the Romans his love bursts 
forth in the strongest terms, and he defies all 
creatures of heaven, of earth, and of hell to 
separate him from the love of his God : '" Who 
therefore will separate us from the love of 
Christ?" Well does this apostle know all that 
is just and beautiful and grand and advanta- 
geous in the love of Christ ; and therefore it 
is that he considers the man, whoever he may 
be, as unworthy of living who does not en- 
tertain this love for Jesus : '' Let him be 
anathema." Fortified by these words of St. 



150 Love for Jesus. 

Paul, I wish to recall to you the pressing mo- 
tives which we have for heartily loving our 
blessed Lord and Saviour. 

We will see the obligation and the happiness 
of this love, the marks by which it may be 
recognized, and the means to acquire it. 

I. The obligation and happiness of this love. — 
We are so ensnared and blinded by the illu- 
sions of this world and the fascinations of the 
senses, that these words, *Hhe love of Jesus," 
are for many souls a strange expression ; and 
still this love is for us a veritable obligation. 
When we had no existence except in the mind 
of God, He prepared for us from all eternity 
the infinite treasures of His mercy : '' With 
an eternal love have I loved thee." 

The Word which was in God and God Him- 
self, as St. John tells us, considered the abase- 
ment of His incarnation. At the time marked 
by the eternal decrees He appears to us full 
of grace and love in the crib at Bethlehem, in 
the arms of Mary, His Mother. He increased 
in grace and wisdom before God and man, 
to attract our admiration and win our hearts. 
When He manifested Himself to the world 
in His public life, He first announced the 
glad tidings to the poor and the lowly of 
earth : " The Father has sent Me to make 
known His word to the poor." But He came 



Lave for Jesus. 151 

also to heal, to console, and to bless them. 
"Come to me, all you that labor and are bur- 
dened, and I will refresh you/* It was not 
enough for Him to share our sorrows: He 
even takes upon Himself our iniquities and 
expiates them by dying on the cross. O heart 
of Jesus, w4th what tenderness thou hast loved 
us! Friend and Father, how great is Thy 
compassion for Thy prodigal children! O 
Good Shepherd, what patience Thou hast had 
to follow Thy straying sheep and lead them 
back to the fold ! And should they not love 
Thee in return ? Thou hast ever}^ right to our 
love. As Master Thou hast given us Thy com- 
mands; as benefactor, friend, brother. Re- 
deemer, and Saviour Thou demandest our love 
in gratitude, and even this love Thou wilt 
make for us w^orthy of eternal recompense. 
Now, O great Apostle I we recognize and un- 
derstand the truth of your words. Yes, let 
him be anathema who will not love our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

2. Marks by zvhich zve may know the love of 
Christ. — You will ask of me now by what signs 
we may recognize this true love for the Saviour 
of men ? In a few" words I will designate the 
characteristics of this love. 

The love which we have for Jesus is evident 
by the works w^hich we perform. There are 



152 Love for Jesus. 

degrees in this love, and the first is a flight 
from evil, which assuredly offends God. Our 
Saviour Himself tells us : " He who loves Me 
keeps My commandments." Are His laws the 
rule of our life? You will answer, yes. Then 
you are on the true way. This, however, is 
not enough. You must strive for the perfec- 
tion of love, and you cannot attain it except 
by a faithful and persevering imitation of all 
the virtues of which our blessed Saviour has 
given an example : ** He who wishes to come 
after Me must deny himself." There is ques- 
tion then of repudiating not only all inordi- 
nate affection for the goods you possess, but 
you must carry this repudiation to your own 
self-will, even to that which you love most. 
The Saviour also adds that " he who wishes 
to come after Me must take up his cross and 
follow Me." The cross is the inheritance of 
every Christian in the world. Crosses are 
found at every turning in our life, and we 
must submit to them and accept them rather 
than murmur against them. Jesus, our Mas- 
ter, wishes that we should take the cross in 
both hands, place it upon our shoulders, and 
walk after Him as a proof of our true love 
for Him. And, furthermore, how can we rec- 
ognize that we love Jesus if we are not en- 
tirelv devoted to Him in our mind and heart? 



Love for Jesus, 153 

If our love is sincere we will give ourselves to 
Him without the slightest reserve. 

3. Means to acquire this love. — To attain to 
this true love of Jesus we must first know 
Him. Do you know Christ? Have you 
studied His life? Do you read from time to 
time the pages of the Gospel which contain 
the history of Our Saviour's life on earth? 
How is it possible to know our loving Saviour 
intimately unless we come into closest relations 
with Him, by meditating on the mysteries of 
His life, and by recalling His words and teach- 
ings and miracles. We can never forget that it 
was through love for us that He became incar- 
nate, that He lived and taught and suffered and 
died and arose again '' for us and for our sal- 
vation.'' The love of Jesus is acquired by 
detachment from the world, from the things 
of the world, and from ourselves. "You can- 
not serve God and mammon." If you are 
attached to the vain and transitory things of 
the world, you cannot give your hearts fully 
to Christ, our adorable Saviour. 

In fine, the best means to attain to a true 
love of Jesus is to devote yourself resolutely 
to the practice of good works, since he who 
does that which God commands truly loves 
Him. Let this prayer be constantly on our 
lips and in our hearts : '' O heart of Jesus, burn- 



154 Imitation of Jesus. 

ing with love for us, inflame our hearts with 
love for Thee!" Then we can feel assured 
that Jesus will grant to us the happy privilege 
of loving Him in this world and in the next. 



INSTRUCTION XXIX. 

IMITATION OF JESUS. 
"Jesus began to do and to teach." — Acts i. i. 

THE Gospel, which is the history of Our 
Saviour's life on earth, presents two sub- 
• • • jects for our consideration, viz., His works 
and His words. In His works our blessed 
Saviour is the Model and the Master Whom 
we must believe, and the Guide in Whom we 
should confide and trust. If He has come 
down from heaven and has assumed our hu- 
manity, it is, as the Church tells us, '' for us 
and for our salvation." He has satisfied the 
justice of His Father for our sins, and He has 
reconciled us with Him. But He has also 
come on earth to reform our conduct and our 
life, that we may become like to Him, and, 
consequently, that we may one day be found 
worthy of being His co-heirs and partakers of 
His glory. Before He proclaims Himself the 
infallible teacher of all truth He presents 
Himself to us as the accomplished model of 
all virtues. We should, therefore, endeavor to 



I??u'tafion of Jesus. 155 

convince ourselves of the necessity of imitating 
this divine Master. With this end in view, 
we will speak of the motives and the practice 
of this imitation. 

I. Motives, — Countless and powerful are the 
motives w^hich urge and oblige us to imitate 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God the 
Father shows us in His Son the object of His 
eternal love: "This is My beloved Son, in 
Whom I am well pleased." He even gives us 
the command, ''Hear ye Him." And what 
does our blessed Lord Himself tell us? He 
says: " I have given you an example, and as I 
have done so do you also." To follow Him 
we must renounce ourselves and take up the 
cross daily. And He adds : " He that does not 
take up the cross and follow Me is unworthy of 
Me. " " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. " 
Should we fail to walk in the way w^hich He 
has pointed out, we shall surely wander and 
be lost, and place ourselves in the impossibility 
of arriving at the true end of our journey in life, 
which is heaven. One of the figures under 
which our blessed Saviour loves to present 
Himself is that of the Good Shepherd. '' I am 
the Good Shepherd." And what is the con- 
duct of a good shepherd? He walks before 
his flock, and his sheep follow him whitherso- 
ever he goes. The will of Our Lord is, then, 



156 Imitation of Jesus. 

that we should follow Him and regard Him as 
our only Model. Our title of Christians and 
our engagements toward Him make it a duty 
for us to imitate His example. We are the 
children of God by adoption, and consequently 
brethren of Jesus, but this noble affiliation and 
this august brotherhood will be only in name 
if they are not strengthened by the resem- 
blance of our thoughts, sentiments, words, and 
works to those of Christ. If we are the mem- 
bers of Jesus Christ there should be conform- 
ity and harmony between the members and 
their Chief. 

Let us recall the engagements of our bap- 
tism, the promises renewed at our first com- 
munion: ''I renounce Satan, his works and 
his pomps, and I promise to live according to 
the teaching and example of Christ." These 
sacred words were pronounced before the altar 
in a loud and distinct voice, while holding the 
word of God in our hands. Therefore to vio- 
late these most solemn promises is to be guilty 
of perjury. Should a man fail to keep his 
word of honor with his fellow-man he would 
fall under the weight of public contempt, and 
his name would be indelibly branded by dis- 
grace. But should a man fail in the promise 
made to Jesus, the King, the Master, the 
Father, the Benefactor, would he not be guilty 



Imitation of J e sits. 157 

of treason, cowardice, and ingratitude? We 
must, therefore, either renounce our title of 
Christian or admit that our obligation is most 
absolute and the first of all our duties is to imi- 
tate our blessed Lord and Saviour. 

2. Practice of this imitation, — In practice this 
imitation should be the rule of our own interior 
life, of our relations with our neighbor, and of 
our duties toward God. 

Our hidden life consists of thoughts, senti- 
ments, desires, and interior acts of the will. 
And what was the hidden life of our blessed 
Lord? The Gospel reveals it to us in every 
page. We should make this word of God the 
book of our daily spiritual reading and medita- 
tion. Suppose a pious person, whose sole de- 
sire is to conform more and more to the divine 
Model ; what will be his practice every day, 
every instant, and in all circumstances? He 
will regulate all his thoughts and judgments 
according to the thoughts and judgments of 
Christ our Saviour. Whatever the object 
which presents itself to his soul, he asks. What 
would the divine Master think of it? For ex- 
ample, what opinion would He have of the 
world, its riches, its pleasures? None, since 
Jesus has cursed the world, condemned its 
riches, loved obscurity, and sought sufferings. 
Ought this man fear tyrants, persecutors, or 



158 Imitation of Jesus. 

the wicked? Jesus answers : " Fear not men, 
who can only attack the body, but fear God, 
Who can destroy soul and body and cast them 
into hell." In a word, a pious person would 
think of these things only as Jesus thinks of 
them ; he would love only what He would love, 
and have no other will than His holy will. 

Likewise in relations with our neighbor Christ 
our Saviour is the only rule to follow. The 
child must be submissive to his parents. 
"Jesus was obedient to Joseph and Mary." 
The citizen is taught '' to render to Caesar the 
things which are Caesar's and to God the 
things which are God's." In private life He 
has been the Model of all virtues. " He has 
done all things well." In His public life it has 
been said of Him : " He passed His life in doing 
good." He has been the source and type of 
all devotion — soothed all human sorrow, healed 
every infirmity. And in His suffering life, 
what a model of patience, resignation, and char- 
ity ! Behold the divine Master, whose example, 
piously meditated on, will surely conduct us to 
perfection in our relations with our neighbor. 

Lastly, it is from Him that we will learn to 
fulfil faithfully our duties toward God, He 
refers all the glory of His work to God the 
Father. He has come into this world only to 
do the will of His Heavenly Father. When He 



Pentecost. 159 

recommends persevering prayer, He gives us 
the example. St. Luke tells us, '' He spent the 
whole night in prayer." Adorable Teacher 
and Exemplar ' grant us the grace to become 
in all things like to Thee for time and eternity. 



INSTRUCTION XXX. 

PENTECOST. 

"They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began 
to speak." — Acts ii. 4. 

THE Church, on the solemnity of Pentecost, 
celebrates the mystery which was wrought 
. . . for the apostles ten days after the Ascen- 
sion of our blessed Lord into heaven. In obe- 
dience to the precept which He had given 
them, the apostles were assembled in the cen- 
acle, and were persevering in prayer with 
Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Acts i. 14), in 
expectation of the Holy Spirit, Who had been 
promised to them. The tenth day had come. 
At the third hour, " suddenly they heard the 
noise as of a great wind, which resounded on 
all sides and filled the house in which they 
were assembled. And there appeared to them 
parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat 
upon every one of them. And they were all 
filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to 



i6o Pentecost, 

speak in divers tongues." The wonder which 
was accomplished in the apostles on this day 
is at once for us a subject of admiration and 
edification. We cannot but admire the sub- 
lime and sudden transformation w^hich the 
Holy Spirit wrought in the apostles. We are 
also edified by the fruits of sanctification and 
salvation which were also produced in Chris- 
tian souls. Filled with the power of the Holy 
Spirit, the apostles on this day received the 
crown of science, the crown of sanctity, and 
the crown of heroism. 

I. TIic crown of science. — Who were these 
apostles, whom the assembled Jews in Jerusa- 
lem heard speaking in every tongue? The 
Gospel, written by their ov/n hands, tells us of 
their profound ignorance of human science. 
They were humble fishermen, knowing noth- 
ing beyond the management of their boats 
and nets. Their indocility and inaptitude for 
instruction equalled and indeed surpassed their 
native ignorance. During the three years 
which they passed in the school of Jesus they 
manifested only an intelligence constantly re- 
bellious to the teaching of their divine Master. 
How often before His passion and after His 
resurrection did He not reproach them for 
their incredulity and the hardness of their 
hearts. '' O unbelieving and perverse gene- 



Pentecost. i6i 

ration ! how long shall I be with you ? How 
long shall I suffer you?" "O foolish and 
slow of heart to believe! " "As yet, you are 
also without understanding." In the designs 
of divine Wisdom and Mercy it was reserved 
for the Holy Spirit to open and expand the 
intelligence of the apostles to the knowledge 
of the truth, and to communicate this truth to 
them in all its fulness. " The Spirit of Truth 
will teach you all truth." 

This Spirit of Truth, promised and pro- 
claimed by our blessed Saviour, descended from 
heaven, filled the cenacle with His divine Light, 
and spread it upon the apostles and disciples. 
At once there was evident in them the most 
complete and sublime transformation that had 
ever been witnessed. From the ignorant men 
they had been they were acknowledged the 
masters and doctors of the world. They gave 
immediate evidence of the fulness of their 
science. At once they began to speak and to 
teach. Yesterday they could speak only their 
own native idiom, to-day they speak all the 
known languages. This wonder was so appar- 
ent that even the strangers assembled in Jeru- 
salem were astonished. They possessed the 
most perfect knowledge of all the truths and 
of all the mysteries of religion, and they 

preached to the people as men having aiUhor- 
1 1 



1 62 Pentecost. 

ity. And thus it is that the Holy Spirit mani- 
fests Himself, even now, in the souls of men, 
by enlightening them in the truths of faith 
and the teachings of the Gospel. How can we 
otherwise explain the profound science of re- 
ligious matters which we often find among the 
poor and the humble,?. Oftentimes they cannot 
even read, and yet they excite the wonder and 
admiration of the learned by their extraordi- 
nary prudence and wisdom. 

2. Tlic crozc'Ji of sanctity. — Not only did the 
Holy Spirit impart the fulness of science to 
the apostles on the day of Pentecost : He gave 
them also the gift of sanctity. This is the 
second crown with which He adorned them on 
their departure from the cenacle, and is an- 
other mark of His divine work in the souls 
of men. What were the apostles when consid- 
ered as to their virtue and sanctity? It would 
seem that the lessons and the examples of 
Jesus should have taught them the pathway of 
perfection. The Gospel, however, tells us 
only of their weakness, their inconstancy, their 
incredulity, and of all their human infirmities. 
While their divine Master preached to them 
of humility, of which virtue He was the most 
perfect model, they disputed among them- 
selves for the first place. They were scandal- 
ized to hear Him speak of the necessity of 



Pentecost. 163 

sufferings. In a moment of zeal they vowed 
to Him their constancy and fidelity, yet in a 
moment afterward one of them betrayed his 
Master, another denied Him, and all aban- 
doned and fled from Him. But scarcely have 
they received the Holy Spirit when they be- 
come new men, wholly spiritual. They are 
not only saintly men, but they manifest a 
sanctity which is most exalted. They are no 
longer, says St. John Chrysostom, earthly men, 
but they are men tried and purified, like the 
gold which has passed through the fire. They 
are charmed with the love of virtue and walk 
in the footsteps of their Master. Every coun- 
sel given by Him in the Gospel is regarded by 
them as the rigid rule of their conduct. And 
this same spirit of sanctity which the apostles 
received still continues its work of sanctifica- 
tion in the souls of men. In spite of the cor- 
ruption of the world, there are still fervent 
disciples of Jesus. There are apostles, con- 
fessors, pure and devoted virgins, who reflect 
in their lives the example of every virtue, and 
only because the Holy Spirit animates and 
vivifies them. 

3. The crown of heroism, — On the day of 
Pentecost the Holy Spirit marked the apostles 
with a third sign of glory — viz., heroism. The 
apostles a short time before were weak, timid, 



164 Pentecost. 

fearful men. Now their souls are inflamed 
with a most fervent zeal — a zeal which prompts 
them to speak aloud and declare themselves 
followers of Christ ; a zeal w^hich enables them 
to undertake everything and to suffer every- 
thing for the holy name of Jesus. Hardly has 
the Holy Spirit descended upon them than 
they depart from the cenacle and begin to 
preach God's word with entire fearlessness. 
It is in vain that silence is imposed on them. 
They readily answer : " God has commanded us 
to make known what we have seen and heard : 
judge ye, therefore, if it is not just to obey God 
rather than man." 

Inflamed by the divine Spirit, they under- 
take nothing less than the complete change of 
the face of the ea^th by establishing the wor- 
ship of the true God on the ruins of paganism. 
To accomplish this vast project, they are only 
twelve in number, and they possess nothing, 
humanly speaking, which can achieve success. 
They have neither influence nor fortune nor 
arms. But these valiant athletes face with 
greatest courage threats, dangers, persecutions, 
torments, and death. They are the first of that 
long line of martyrs whom we count by mil- 
lions, and who have sealed with their blood the 
truths of Jesus Christ. And to-day, also, the 
heroism of the apostles is manifested in gene- 



The Holy Name of Jesus. 165 

rous Christian souls, who, to remain faithful 
to God, courageously withstand the contempt 
and the continual threats and persecutions of 
the world. Then let us imitate their example 
and dispose our hearts to receive this Holy- 
Spirit of strength, courage, and intrepidity. 
It is this same Spirit which will aid us to 
triumph over all our enemies and make us 
true disciples of Jesus. He will give to us a 
share of that courage which characterized the 
apostles when on earth, and will thereby ren- 
der us worthy to participate one day in their 
eternal glory. 



INSTRUCTION XXXI. 

THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS. 

"God hath given Him a name which is above all 
names." — Philip, ii. 9. 

JESUS ! This is the name which the Apos- 
tle tells us is above all other names, and 
. . . which the Church honors to-day by a spe- 
cial solemnity. Before this thrice-holy name 
every knee must bend, in heaven, on earth, 
and in hell. Who can tell the grandeur, the 
magnificence, the riches of this divine name — 
that name which no one can worthily pronounce 
if not assisted by the grace of the Holy Spirit. 



1 66 The Holy Name of Jesus. 

At this moment I would wish to be the inter- 
preter of the devout St. Bernard, to offer for 
your pious reflections the treasures of grace 
contained in the adorable name of Jesus, 
and to increase in your hearts sentiments of 
respect and gratitude, confidence and love, 
which you should have for our divine Saviour. 
In the lessons borrowed from this eloquent 
doctor for the office of to-day, we will find 
the eulogy of the name of Jesus. There we 
read these beautiful words, which will be the 
subject of our instruction. '' This name is a 
light; preach it. This name is nourishment 
for our souls ; meditate on it. This name is 
sweetest balm and consolation ; invoke it. We 
will, therefore, find light, life, and strength 
all contained in the sacred name of Jesus." 

I. This name is a light, — What radiant and 
brilliant light suddenly shone in the world on 
the day when the sacred name of Jesus fell 
from the burning lips of the apostles! What 
was the world then, with its wealth of learned 
and erudite men, valiant generals, eloquent 
orators, powerful and conquering Caesars? 
Even in those days there were not wanting, at 
Rome and Athens, those lights which are called 
to-day the very light of civilization. But we 
must admit what is considered light for men 
is densest darkness before God. The true 



The Holy Name of Jesus. 167 

light, that which enlightens every man coming 
into the world, the sun of immortal souls, 
which guides them to their necessary and last 
end — that light was then veiled by the thickest 
cloud. The world was seated in darkness and 
in the shadow of death. At length the day 
arrives, and twelve poor fishermen without 
human science, without fortune, without 
credit, arise and come forth from a corner of 
far-oflf Judea. They begin to speak to the 
people, and have for their object nothing less 
than the conversion of the whole world. What 
means have they to assure them of success in 
their crusade against the prejudice, the errors, 
and the passions which dominate the world? 
No other means except the name of Jesus, 
which they have in their hearts and on their 
lips. They preach this name. They tell of 
the life, the sufferings, the death, and the 
resurrection of their Master. At once the 
dawning comes for the souls of men. Man 
recognizes what he is. At length he knows 
his dignity, whence he comes, and whither he 
goes. The name of Jesus tells him the infinite 
grandeur of God — His wisdom, His justice. His 
love, and His mercy. It reveals to him his 
own dignity in the eyes of faith, and his im- 
mortal destiny. It teaches him the price of 
his soul, by recalling to him all that Jesus has 



1 68 The Holy Name of Jesus. 

done to redeem and save him. All these 
truths are unknown to those who have not 
heard His name preached, or who have obsti- 
nately closed their eyes to His beneficent light. 
Yes, it is this adorable name which will en- 
lighten our souls more and more, and will 
dissipate the darkness with which Satan would 
overspread the earth. 

2. TJiis name is food for souls. — The holy 
name of Jesus is not only our light on earth, it 
is also our nourishment and life. By meditat- 
ing on this name with faith and devotion our 
souls will find most healthful nourishment. 
" Man does not live by bread alone, but by 
every word that cometh from the mouth of 
God." Is not the very name of Jesus a mag- 
nificent summary of the discourses and the 
teachings of our divine Master? Moreover, 
Jesus is the name of the Uncreated Word, the 
Eternal Word of God. He has said of Himself 
that He has come to earth that His disciples 
may have life and have it more abundantly. 
And what is the nourishment of our souls? It 
is our Chief, our Model. Has He not declared 
that " His food was to do the will of His 
Father"? The name of Jesus reminds us of 
the holy and adorable will of God. His will 
is that we should be like to our divine Model — 
holy as He is, and perfect as He is. This 



The Holy Name of Jesus. 169 

name tells us also the means we must employ 
to attain this sanctity and perfection. In this 
name are found all the virtues we must practise 
to be true disciples of Christ. It is in medi- 
tating on this name that the saints have found 
the sweetest nourishment of their souls. After 
the example they have given us, we too will 
be encouraged in the practice of humility, 
poverty, obedience, patience, resignation, and 
sacrifice, which Our Saviour has come on earth 
to give us, and thereby lead us to life eternal. 
3. TJiis name is sweetest consolation. — Finally, 
the holy name of Jesus is a balm which 
sweetens all pain and soothes every sorrow. 
Where shall the sick man on his bed of sorrow 
find aid and consolation? By invoking this 
name he will recall the cruel scourging at the 
pillar, the crowning of thorns, the torments 
and martyrdom of his Master. The heart filled 
with bitterness and sorrow will be consoled by 
recalling what Jesus has said : '' Come to Me 
all you that labor and are burdened, and I will 
refresh you." This name will also strengthen 
us to combat the enemies of our salvation. 
Formerly the athletes who were to combat in 
the arena were anointed with oil to strengthen 
them against their adversaries. The invoca- 
tion of the holy name will communicate to our 
souls this unconquerable strength to sustain 



170 The Precious Blood of Our Lord, 

US in the combat against all the power of our 
enemies. See the apostles ! By the mere invo- 
cation of the holy name of Jesus they put the 
demons to flight, overthrew the temples, and 
became more powerful than the tyrants. The 
martyrs feared neither punishment nor death. 
By calling on the holy name, the fiercest ani- 
mals, the lions and the tigers, lie as timid lambs 
at their feet. After the example of the saints, 
let us faithfully keep in our minds the adorable 
name of Jesus. It will be our light in the 
midst of the darkness of the world. Let us 
meditate piously upon it, and we shall find in it 
the most salutary teachings. Let us invoke it 
with love and with confidence. It will be our 
strength in life and our sweetest consolation 
in the hour of our death. 



INSTRUCTION XXXII. 

THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD. 

" This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath 
made with you. " — Exod. xxiv. 8. 

IT is Moses, the great law-giver, who thus 
speaks to the Hebrews while sprinkling 
• • them with the blood of their victims. He 
shows them by this blood the sign of the 
covenant which the Lord had made with them. 



The Precious Blood of Our Lord. 171 

by liberating them from the slavery of Egypt, 
nourishing them miraculously during their 
journey in the desert, and by giving them His 
law. But the blood of animals was only a 
prophetic figure of the blood which the Lamb 
of God would pour out on Calvary, and the 
alliance of the Lord with the children of Israel 
was only a symbol of that more perfect and 
eternal alliance which He has wished to con- 
tract with us, and which our blessed Saviour 
has sealed with His own blood. The Church, 
which is the depositary of the divine precepts 
of the new law, presents for our adoration the 
blood of the Saviour of the world. And on 
this solemnity, consecrated to the precious 
blood, she tells us again : '' Behold the blood 
of the covenant which the Lord hath made 
with you." Let us then enter into the spirit 
of the Church, while I expose for you the 
motives of our devotion toward the precious 
blood of the Saviour. We shall see that this 
divine blood is the ransom of our souls, the 
source of their life, and the principle of their 
eternal glory. 

I. The ransom of our souls. — The prophets, 
whose mission it was to announce the merciful 
designs of God toward man, had predicted that 
the redemption of the world would be accom- 
plished by the blood of the Man -God. Through 



172 The Precioys Blood of Our Lord. 

the veil which hides the future they saw all 
the circumstances of the passion of our Lord 
and Saviour. Isaias in a manner counts his 
wounds : " He was wounded for our iniquities, 
He was bruised for our sins." The patriarch 
Jacob says, '' He will wash His robes in w^ne, 
and His garment in the blood of the grape." 
Could he mark in clearer terms the purifica- 
tion of souls by the blood of Christ, under the 
appearance of wine? Not only did the proph- 
ets announce the remission of sins by the 
effusion of blood, but the figures of the old 
law represented this truth. Abel, falling un- 
der the fratricidal blows of Cain, was an image 
of the Saviour immolated by the sinner^s hand. 
What was the significance of the sprinkling 
with blood of victims to efface their legal 
stains? This sprinkling represented what 
the blood of the Saviour would accomplish in 
the souls of men — purify them from their 
faults, wash them from their iniquities, and 
restore them to their former purity and in- 
nocence. Hence St. Paul tells us in his 
Epistle to the Hebrews : " If the blood of oxen 
could efface the stains contracted under the 
old law, with how much greater reason will the 
blood of Jesus Christ purify us from our faults 
and sins?" It is then this adorable blood 
which has reconciled us with God and accom- 



The Precious Blood of Our Lord. 173 

plished the redemption of our souls. And if, 
in spite of our first justification, we should fall 
again into sin, where shall we find our resur- 
rection to grace? It is to the blood of the 
Lamb we must have recourse. True, indeed, 
Jesus died once, and only once has He shed 
His blood; but every day on the altar He 
mystically renews the shedding of the same 
blood for the salvation of men, while in heaven 
He is living always to plead in our favor be- 
fore His Father. While celebrating the holy 
sacrifice the priest tells us in the name of 
Jesus Christ: " This is the chalice of My blood, 
of the new and eternal alliance, which shall be 
shed for you, and for a great number, for the 
remission of sins." It is, therefore, at a great 
price that we have been redeemed, since it is 
nothing else than the life blood of the eternal 
Son of God that has been shed for our salva- 
tion. 

2 . The source of life. — The precious blood is 
not only the ransom paid for our souls, it is 
also their very life. Our lives may be likened 
to the uncultivated and sterile earth which pro- 
duces only thorns and thistles, which will be 
consumed by the fire of malediction. But 
when watered by the blood of our blessed 
Saviour and saturated by this salutary dew, 
our souls produce the most abundant fruits 



174 The Precious Blood of On 7- Lord. 

of sanctification and salvation. Our souls re- 
ceive this fecundity through the sacraments, 
which are so many mysterious sources of the 
precious blood. What astonishing and wholly 
supernatural virtues the blood of Jesus germi- 
nates in our souls ! The sacrament of baptism 
communicates faith, the knowledge of Gad, 
and the mysteries of our holy religion. This 
faith, it is true, is only infused into the child, 
whose reason is not yet developed. But when 
he will have attained the use of reason and dis- 
cretion, if he has had the happiness to preserve 
his heart pure and innocent, what wisdom, 
what virtues unknown to pagan souls does he 
not manifest? In the sacrament of confirma- 
tion the blood of Jesus gives to the Christian 
the courage and fearlessness to triumph over 
the world, the flesh, and the devil. Penance 
gives life and health. The Eucharist pre- 
serves and augments them. In a word, all the 
sacraments give particular graces which are the 
price of the precious blood, and render souls 
capable of the most eminent virtues. See the 
patience of the saints in the severest trials, 
their resignation in the most painful sacrifices, 
their charity toward neighbors, their zeal for 
the conversion of sinners, their devotion in 
solacing the miserable and unfortunate, and 
their calm intrepidity in the presence of suffer- 



The Precious Blood of Our Lord, 175 

ings and death. Whence come these eminent 
virtues, if not from that adorable Source which 
flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus? It is 
from this Source, also, that we must receive 
the life of our immortal souls. It is from this 
ever-flowing fountain that we, too, must gain 
the inspiration which w411 prompt us to deeds of 
love and mercy, which will be worthy of rec- 
ompense in the life beyond the grave. 

3. The principle of eternal glory, — The pre- 
cious blood is the principle of eternal glory 
for our souls. It was by the shedding of His 
blood that Jesus Christ, the eternal Pontiff, 
has entered into heaven, and acquired for us 
the right to enter with Him. The privileged 
disciple of Jesus exclaims : " Blessed are they 
who wash their garments in the blood of the 
Lamb." And the elect add: "Lord, it is in 
Thy blood that Thou hast redeemed us out of 
every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 
and hast made us to our God a kingdom. " But 
to be worthy of this glory during life, we 
must apply the remedies which the Lord has 
prepared for us by His blood. These reme- 
dies are principally the sacrament of penance 
and the Eucharist. Penance is as a divine 
bath, whose peculiar property is to cleanse us 
from the slightest stain, while the Eucharist is 
the indispensable nourishment of our souls. It 



176 The Sac7'ed Heat't of Jesus, 

is also called the " bread of the strong, and the 
wine which makes virgins." This wine is the 
precious blood of the Saviour. Let us be care- 
ful lest we despise or profane this divine 
blood: it would then become our condemna- 
tion. We should recall also the example of 
the Jews. Once they dared in their blind de- 
lirium to utter the derisive blasphemy : " Let 
His blood fall on us and on our children. " His 
blood did indeed fall on them, but for their 
misfortune and their destruction. Let us ask, 
also, that the blood of our blessed Saviour fall 
on our souls, but to purify them, consecrate 
them, bless them, and enrich them with virtue. 
May His precious blood fill our souls with 
merits worthy of reward and render us worthy 
of eternal felicity ! 



INSTRUCTION XXXIII. 

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. 
"My heart shall be there always." — in. Kings ix. 3. 

IN the seventeenth century there lived in a 
convent of the Visitation at Paray-le-Mo- 
• • • nial in France an humble religious named 
Margaret Mary. Although young in years, 
she received from heaven the most signal 
favors, the choicest benedictions, and I need 



The Sacred Heart of Jesus, 177 

hardly say that she corresponded to these 
favors by a most constant fidelity. One day, 
as she was adoring our blessed Lord in the 
quiet and peaceful chapel, the good Master 
appeared to her, and revealed all the treasures 
of love with which His Sacred Heart is in- 
flamed for men. Not only once, but even a 
second and a third time, was this favor given 
her. These apparitions occurred in the year 
1675. Our blessed Saviour showed her His Sa- 
cred Heart, surmounted by a cross, surrounded 
by a crown of thorns, and enveloped in flames, 
which seemed to her capable of consuming the 
world. He asked of her to have a feast es- 
tablished in honor of His Sacred Heart. He 
told her to behold the Heart of Jesus, which 
loved men so well, and enumerated the many 
blessings which should follow and flow upon 
whomsoever should honor His Sacred Heart. 
During twenty years Margaret Mary was in fre- 
quent communication with our blessed Lord, 
and during those years God permitted that she 
should be exposed to the severest trials and 
contradictions. In the year 1720 the plague 
ravaged the city of Marseilles. It was this 
circumstance that God employed to regularly 
establish the devotion to the Sacred Heart. 
To-day this devotion is universal. It is known 

and practised in every land where the true 
12 



178 The Sacred Heai't of Jesus. 

Church of God is found, while more than 
20,000,000 souls have enrolled their names in 
leagues, societies, and sodalities which have 
the Sacred Heart as the especial object of their 
devotion. By a rescript of the Sovereign 
Pontiff, Pope Pius IX., addressed to the whole 
Catholic world, a special feast celebrates the 
honor and the glory of the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus. 

Let us, therefore, consider the devotion to 
the Sacred Heart in its object, its end, and its 
effects, and VvX shall then be able to under- 
stand how worthy is this devotion of our hearts' 
best affection. 

I. /;/ its object, — The devotion to the Sacred 
Heart of Jesus is an exercise of religion which 
has for its object the very Heart of Our Lord 
and Saviour, burning with love for men. Yes, 
it is the real, the physical heart of the person of 
the Incarnate Word ; it is to the Heart of Jesus 
in its proper and natural signification that this 
devotion is offered. Such was the wish of our 
amiable Saviour, according to His revelations 
to the blessed Margaret Mary. The Church, 
in establishing confraternities in honor of the 
Sacred Heart, has had in view only the devo- 
tion to the true, the real Heart of Jesus. We 
do not, however, regard the Heart of Jesus as 
isolated and separated from the person of the 



The Sacred Heart of Jesus. 179 

Son of God. No; on the contrary, we con- 
sider the Heart of Jesus intimately and indisso- 
lubly united to His adorable person, and by this 
union elevated to a state wholly divine. In 
fact, w^hile the adoration, praise, and prayers 
have for their sensible object the material 
Heart of Jesus, still they refer to the person 
of the Word, which is united to Him. The 
spiritual object of this devotion is the infinite 
love which our blessed Lord has had for us. 
The true symbol, the natural sign of this love 
of Jesus is precisely His Sacred Heart. His 
Heart was the principle, the seat, the organ, or 
instrument which prompted Him to undertake 
everything, suffer everything, and sacrifice 
everything for the human race. It was in His 
Heart that He experienced the tenderest sen- 
timents of a father, the most compassionate 
love of a good shepherd, the sincerest and ten- 
derest devotion of a friend. It was from His 
Sacred Heart that the tears flowed at the death 
of Lazarus, and for the sorrow of Martha and 
Mary. It was in the Sacred Heart that His 
universal and omnipotent charity originated 
which healed all infirmities, solaced every un- 
fortunate, and by the cross saved the world. 
What heart is greater, more perfect, or more 
worthy of love or to be the object of our de- 
votion ? 



i8o The Sacred Heart of Jesus, 

2. In its end, — The devotion to the Sacred 
Heart has for its end to pay a tribute of love, 
gratitude, and reparation to our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. The Heart of Jesus 
loved us infinitely on earth and still loves us 
infinitely in heaven. It is love which has held 
Him enchained on our altars during 1900 years. 
Is it not, therefore, just that we should sur- 
round Him with special testimony of gratitude, 
veneration, and love? In revealing His Sa- 
cred Heart to His devoted servant, Marga- 
ret Mary, He said : " Behold the Heart which 
has loved men so much.'' These words He 
repeats to each one of us in the blessed Eu- 
charist. Is not this enough to make us un- 
derstand that He asks of us our best love and 
devotion ? 

In addition to our love, He asks of us our 
gratitude for the innumerable blessings which 
He daily lavishes on us. We cannot recount 
these blessings. They are an infinity which 
no man can number. We owe Him also 
reparation for the contempt, ingratitude, ir- 
reverence, sacrileges, and coldness of men in 
this sacrament of His love. We cannot be 
insensible to the insults, the blasphemies, and 
the outrages which are offered to Jesus — to 
Jesus personally residing in the Eucharist, this 
sacrament in which He manifests all the wealth 



The Sacred Heart of Jesus, i8i 

of His tenderness and love. There are out- 
rages on the part of heretics, who deny this 
mystery, and who have gone so far as to 
trample under their feet the Sacred Host. 
Outrages also on the part of Catholics, who often 
repay the burning love of Jesus by forgetful- 
ness, abandonment, and profanation. 

3. In its effects, — If we consider the devotion 
to the Sacred Heart in its effects we shall find 
it the inexhaustible source of all graces. The 
blessed Margaret Mary wrote to her director : 
" It is evident that there is no one in the whole 
world who will not experience the assistance 
of Heaven if he has for Jesus a grateful love.'' 
She adds : " I do not know of any exercise of 
devotion which is more capable of elevating, 
in a short time, a soul to the highest sanctity 
and of making it taste the sweetness of the 
service of God, than the devotion to the Sacred 
Heart of Jesus. Yes, I say it with perfect 
assurance: if men knew how agreeable this 
devotion is to Jesus there is not a single 
Christian who would not practise it at once." 

By borrowing the words of the Wise Man, 
we can say that " all things come to us in the 
devotion to the Sacred Heart.'* Let us hear 
again what this privileged servant of God tells 
us. "By devotion to the Sacred Heart secular 
persons — people living in the world — will find 



1 82 Feast of St. Peter. 

all the necessary assistance in their state of 
life, that is to say, peace in their families, 
comfort in their labors, the blessings of heaven 
on all their undertakings, and consolations in 
their sorrows," In the Sacred Heart they will 
find a place of refuge during life, and espe- 
cially at the hour of death. Ah, how sweet 
it is to die after having had a constant devotion 
to the Sacred Heart of Him who will be our 
judge ! Then let us honor and love this divine 
Heart in time to possess it in eternity. 



INSTRUCTION XXIV. 

FEAwST OF ST. PETER. 

*'Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." — St. 
Matt. xvi. i6. 

THIS is the response which St. Peter gave 
to our blessed Saviour on a most memo- 
. . . rable occasion. While journeying toward 
Cesarea, our divine Saviour was conversing 
familiarly with His disciples. '' Who do 
men say that the Son of man is?" asked our 
divine Lord of His apostles. They answered: 
'' Some say that Thou art John the Baptist, and 
others Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of 
the prophets." Jesus said to them: ''But 
who do you say that I am.^" St. Peter, 



Feast of St. Peter. 183 

answering in the name of the others, replied: 
"Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." 
And Jesus said to him : " Blessed art thou, 
Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath 
not revealed it to thee, but My Father, Who 
is in heaven. And I say to thee that thou 
art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My 
Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it" (St. Matt. xvi. 13-18). Therefore 
it is that the faith of this glorious apostle has 
been recompensed by his elevation to the su- 
preme rank of head of the Church. It is this 
faith which I wish to propose for your pious 
meditation on this day, consecrated to the 
memory of this great saint. 

We will then consider the faith of St. 
Peter in its principles, its motives, and in his 
acts. 

I. In its principles, — St. Peter was the first 
to believe in his heart and to confess by his 
words the divinity of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. This truth is the resume of all 
religion and the essential condition of possess- 
ing eternal life. The words of St. John give us 
this assurance : '' This is eternal life, to know 
Thee, the only true God, and Christ Jesus, 
Whom Thou has sent." And now, let us ask, 
What has been for the apostle the principle, 
the source, the origin of this faith? It has 



184 Feast of St. Peter. 

been neither flesh nor blood ; that is to say, 
neither study, nor knowledge, neither the read- 
ing of books nor the teaching of men — in a word, 
the faith of the apostle had not its origin from 
men or from the world. His faith was purely 
the gift of God. '' Blessed art thou, Simon 
Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not 
revealed this to thee, but My Father, Who 
is in heaven." Because of this faith, which 
was wholly supernatural, Peter is proclaimed 
blessed. And why? In virtue of this faith 
he is agreeable to God, and without faith no 
one can be acceptable in His eyes. The great 
Apostle tells us that *' without faith it is impos- 
sible to please God." It is, therefore, this 
very faith which is the principle of His great- 
ness. His merits, and His glory. 

Like St. Peter, we also are called to follow 
Christ. In baptism we have been consecrated 
His disciples and have become children of 
His Church. And now let us candidly ask, 
Do we believe sincerely in our hearts and are 
we ready courageously to confess with our 
words that Jesus is the Son of the living God? 
If we can answer affirmatively we should esteem 
ourselves happy and be grateful for this great 
gift of faith. We are indebted for this gift 
neither to our wisdom, to our prudence, nor our 
learning ; but we owe it solely to the grace and 



Feast of St, Peter, 185 

mercy of God. Therefore it is, as St. Paul 
says, " not of him that willeth, nor of him who 
runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" 
(Rom. ix. 16). 

Do we hold this precious gift of faith suffi- 
ciently in esteem? It is our only, our true, 
greatness. It is this gift which makes us 
children of God, Christ's brethren and co- 
heirs. This gift is our true wealth, since it 
procures for us those goods which are above 
all other goods of which we can have any con- 
ce.ption or which we can possess on earth. 
This gift of faith is our only glory, since it 
opens for us heaven with all its splendor and 
magnificence. " He that belie veth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved'* (St. Mark xvi. 16). 

2. /;/ its motives, — The faith of St. Peter 
was not only supernatural in its principle, it 
was also reasonable in its motives. Having 
been called to follow Jesus, he received His 
doctrines and His teaching. If the Jews, who 
had not the dispositions of the apostle, could 
say, when hearing our blessed Saviour : '' Never 
did man speak as this man," what then must 
have been the admiration of Simon Peter, who 
was honored with the intimacy and familiarity 
of his Master? He carefully treasured the 
words of wisdom which fell from His sacred 
lips. Again, one day, while Jesus was speak- 



1 86 Feast of St. Peter. 

ing of the future institution of the blessed 
Eucharist, many were scandalized at a mys- 
tery so sublime and incomprehensible. Peter 
exclaimed: "Lord, to whom else shall we 
go? Thou only hast the words of eternal 
life.'* 

St. Peter witnessed the works of his Master. 
He saw Him command nature, appease the 
tempest, heal the sick, raise the dead to life, 
unfold the secrets of hearts — in a word, he 
saw Jesus, with sovereign omnipotence, accom- 
plish the most astonishing prodigies. This was 
for him a sufficient motive to confess the 
divinity of Christ. To those who were rebel- 
lious our blessed Saviour said : '' If you will 
not believe My word, believe at least My 
works. My works give testimony of Me." 
In fine, Jesus confirmed the beauty of His 
doctrines and the grandeur of His works by 
the perfection of His life and the sanctity of 
His examples. This was for St. Peter another 
motive firmly to believe that Jesus was God. 
And, besides, had he not heard, on Thabor, 
the voice of God the Tather speaking of 
Jesus transfigured : " This is My well-beloved 
Son m Whom I am well pleased: hear ye 
Him"? 

3. In his acts. — The faith of vSt. Peter was 
not only reasonable in its motives, but his faith 



Feast of St. Fete?-, 187 

was magnificently manifested in his acts. At 
the first intimation he received from Jesus he 
generously abandoned all he possessed and 
vowed his present and future service to his 
Master: "Behold, we leave everything to 
follow Thee." St. Peter's faith was so great 
that he walked on the waters without the slight- 
est fear of danger, and eagerly ran to seize the 
extended hand of Jesus. It is true his faith 
was not yet perfect, since he merited the gen- 
tle rebuke of Our Saviour : " Why have you 
doubted? " It was, however, only a short time 
afterward when he heard Our Lord say to him : 
" When you will be converted you will 
strengthen your brethren in the faith." 

Thanks to his great faith, immediately after 
his fall his penance was prompt, and entire, 
and persevering. A single look from his 
Master sufficed to recall him. At the sight of 
his sin he shed bitter tears, and he did not 
cease to weep until his dying day. His tears 
had furrowed his cheeks. The whole life of 
this glorious apostle, his journeys, his labors, 
his preaching, his solicitude to establish the 
Church and to govern it, his death on the 
cross after the example of his Master, are all 
so many splendid proofs of the fervor and 
activity of his faith. Like to the faith of St. 
Peter, may our faith be solidly established in 



1 88 Feast of St, Joseph, 

our heart, but especially let our faith manifest 
itself by our constant perseverance in the 
fulfilment of those works which are calculated 
to advance God's glory and our own sanctifica- 
tion. 



INSTRUCTION XXXV. 

FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH. 
*'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." — St. Matt. i. i8. 

BEHOLD the three names which are par- 
ticularly dear to Catholic hearts ! These 
• • • three names are lovingly linked togeth- 
er, and are spoken with greatest confidence. 
Jesus, our God, our Creator, our Redeemer, 
our Master. Mary, the Mother of Jesus and 
our Mother, full of grace, of tenderness, and of 
mercy. Joseph, the descendant of kings and 
patriarchs, the representative of God in the ac- 
complishment of the mysteries of our salvation, 
the foster-father of Jesus, the spouse of Mary 
the Mother of Jesus and the queen of virgins. 
Oh, how great should be our confidence and 
devotion to these three blessed names! I 
need hardly say that your piety should not per- 
mit a single day to pass without invoking them 
with tenderness and love. But since we cele- 
brate to-day the feast of St. Joseph, I wish to 



Feast of St, Joseph. 189 

respond to your pious expectations by speak- 
ing to you more particularly of the devotion 
which we should have for the glorious patri- 
arch St. Joseph. As children of St. Joseph 
we should honor him, invoke him, and imitate 
him. 

I. To honor him, — The first sentiment which 
the name of St. Joseph should awaken in our 
hearts is the sentiment of profound venera- 
tion. Has not God Himself infinitely honored 
him by establishing him as the guardian of 
Jesus and Mary? ''Take the Child and His 
Mother." Have for them every care which 
a father should have for a wife and for her son. 
Joseph is, therefore, raised to the dignity of 
head of the holy family, and holds the place 
of God the Father. Mary honors him as her 
spouse, and submits to his guidance entirely. 
It is he who receives the heavenly messages 
and makCvS them known to Mary. Jesus, 
Who is the uncreated Wisdom, humbly obeys 
him. " He was obedient to Mary and Joseph." 
He labors with Joseph, and is obedient to his 
commands in the humble workshop at Naza- 
reth. Now, if the Heavenly Father, if our 
Lord and Saviour, if the Blessed Virgin have 
given to St. Joseph the greatest honors that 
a man is capable of receiving, is it not clearly 
our duty to give to this illustrious patriarch all 



190 Feast of St. Joseph, 

the homage and respect and veneration which 
piety, enlightened by faith and inflamed by 
charity, can give ? As children of the Catholic 
Church we see our holy Mother propagate 
everywhere the love and devotion to St. Joseph. 
Temples and altars are erected in his honor, 
his festival-days are celebrated; in a word, 
the Church proclaims him her glorious pa- 
tron. Shall we not also unite in this universal 
concert of Catholic souls to honor the foster- 
father of our Lord and Saviour and the spouse 
of Mary, our good and tender Mother? To 
honor St. Joseph, therefore, is only to unite 
in the dispositions of Jesus, and to share the 
sentiments of His adorable heart toward him 
whom He venerated, respected, and loved as 
His earthly father. To declare ourselves the 
servants of St. Joseph is to profess ourselves 
true disciples of Jesus. 

And has not Mary a particular predilection 
for the faithful hearts who honor her holy 
spouse? Who is there who would not have 
been most happy to have been a member of 
that holy family — even to have been an hum- 
ble servant in it? With what joy you would 
have obeyed St. Joseph in his humble work- 
shop! If you are devoted to this glorious 
saint, if you make it a duty to honor him now, 
you will merit to be regarded as a servant and 



Feast of St. Joseph. 191 

member of that great family of which St. 
Joseph is the head. 

2. To invoke him. — The devotion which we 
should have for St. Joseph consists also in in- 
voking him. His power and influence before 
God are omnipotent, because he is a just man. 
St. James tells us that " the prayer of the just 
man is very great with God.'* How many are 
the titles he has to be heard by God, and what 
could our Lord and Saviour refuse him? Dur- 
ing his life on earth St. Joseph served Him as 
a father, he provided for Him, and protected 
Him against the fury of His enemies. He 
also shared the sorrows and agonies of Mary 
in their flight to Egypt, in their return to 
Nazareth, and the loss of Jesus, Who had re- 
mained in the temple in the midst of the 
doctors: "Behold, Thy father and I have 
sought Thee sorrowing." The care and vigi- 
lance and tender solicitude which St. Joseph 
had for Jesus he has still for us, whom he 
sees exposed on earth to the rage of hell, the 
persecutions of the world, and the fury of pas- 
sions. From the highest heavens he sees the 
dangers which surround us in this vale of 
tears, this place of exile. He is the witness 
of our fatigues, of our sorrows, and of our mis- 
eries; his heart is touched by a tender and 
paternal compassion for us. And since he is 



192 Feast of St. Joseph. 

all-powerful with Jesus to obtain for lis the 
necessary grace and assistance, we cannot 
doubt but that he will be disposed to intercede 
for those whom his Son of adoption has -pur- 
chased at the price of His sacred bloody and 
for those whom Mary at the foot of the cross 
received as her children. 

The Church, by a solemn decree, has recog- 
nized St. Joseph as her protector. This is 
for us another motive to invoke him with 
confidence in the countless necessities which 
beset us in life. But it is especially in the 
hour of our death that we should recommend 
ourselves to St. Joseph, since he is particularly 
the patron of the sick and dying. 

3. To imitate hi?n. — The means to assure 
ourselves of the protection of St. Joseph, and 
to make him propitious in that hour which 
will decide our eternity, is to take him for our 
model now and to imitate him in the practice 
of those virtues of which he has given the 
example. The Gospel tells us that ''Joseph 
was a just man;" that is to say, he was faith- 
ful in all his duties toward God, his neighbor, 
and himself. 

Let the law of God be the only rule of our 
conduct and the motive of our will, as it was 
for St. Joseph in all the circumstances of his 
life. It is not without reason that the devo- 



Feast of St. Joseph, 193 

tion to this great patriarch is, in our days, 
constantly increasing. It is a special remedy 
for our social state, which is perishing by in- 
subordination. Let us love our neighbor as 
St. Joseph loved him, by bearing with him 
patiently, assisting him in charity, and by 
humbly submitting ourselves to the represen- 
tatives of legitimate authority. 

We should imitate St. Joseph also in prayer, 
labor, and the faithful performance of the 
duties of our state of life. The sacred text 
does not record a single miracle performed by 
this august adopted father of Jesus, but it tells 
us he was a workman, and that he gained his 
bread by the sweat of his brow. His whole 
life was passed in recollection and prayer in 
the society of Jesus and Mary, and in the ful- 
filment of the duties of his state. This, there- 
fore, is the example we must imitate to merit 
his powerful and paternal protection before 
Jesus. In our thoughts, words, actions, and 
conduct we should propose St. Joseph as our 
model. Let us recommend ourselves to him 
with confidence in all the circumstances of 
our life. He will be our assistance and our 
support, and we will have the happiness to ex- 
perience his assistance when the hour will 
come to leave this world and to enter life 
eternal. 

13 



194 Feast of St. Stephen. 

INSTRUCTION XXXVI. 

FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN. 

"And Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great 
wonders and signs among the people." — Acts vi. 8. 

ON this solemnity I cannot present to you 
a more eloquent panegyric of the great 
• • • saint and the glorious martyr whose 
memory we honor than that which the Holy 
Spirit Himself has left us in the Acts of the 
Apostles. Full of grace, Stephen was agree- 
able to God, Whose vision is not limited by 
the external appearance of men, but Who can 
recognize the pure and innocent soul that loves 
Him and is attached to Him above all things. 
Full of strength, he employs all his zeal to 
preach the holy name of Jesus, to publish His 
glorious resurrection, and to spread His holy 
Gospel. Thus, the sanctity of his life and the 
ardor of his faith were confirmed by the mul- 
titude of prodigies which he wrought among 
the people. He was the first to shed his blood 
for the holy name of Jesus, and appears at the 
head of a countless phalanx of martyrs who 
have given testimony to the truth by shedding 
their blood. 

The Church, in giving you St. Stephen as 
your patron, proposes the first martyr for your 



Feast of St. Stephen, 195 

veneration and your imitation. It is in this 
that the devotion you owe him consists, and 
not only on the day of his feast, but during 
your whole life. 

I. Your veneration, — The sentiments of pro- 
found veneration with which St. Stephen 
should inspire you are found in the fulness of 
grace which he possessed, the testimony which 
the apostles gave to his sanctity, the fidelity 
with which he discharged the duties of his 
ministry, and the protection which his patron- 
age assures you. 

I. His plenitude of grace, — This is unques- 
tionably the most beautiful title he possesses 
to our respect and homage. Full of grace, St. 
Stephen has been elevated to the highest rank 
which a creature can attain before God. It 
was in these very terms that the Blessed Virgin, 
chosen to be the Mother of the Saviour of the 
world, was saluted by the angel : " Hail, full 
of grace ! '* For the disciple, as for the Mother 
of the Saviour, grace has been the principle of 
the most eminent sanctity. Although still 
very young, St. Stephen was among the first 
Christians a model of innocence, purity, char- 
ity, and of all the virtues. So that with an 
abundance of supernatural gifts for his own 
sanctification, he received from heaven also 
the power to perform prodigies and splendid 



196 Feast of St. Stephen, 

miracles, to convert the pagan world to the 
belief of the Gospel. 

2. Tlie testimony which the apostles gave to his 
sanctity, — When the chiefs of the Church, 
inspired by the Holy Spirit, deemed it neces- 
sary to add new members to their society, to 
confide to them the care of widows and orphans 
and to distribute alms to the poor, they said to 
the assembled disciples: "Brethren, look ye 
out among" you men of good reputation, full 
of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may 
appoint over this business." Upon whom did 
they fix their eyes? Young Stephen was 
deemed most worthy. He it was whom the 
brethren chose to care for the poor and for 
those who renounced the world and conse- 
crated themselves to the service of God: 
"They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and 
the Holy Ghost." 

3. Fidelity luith zuhich he discharged the ditties 
of his ministry, — What tongue can ever tell 
the zeal and the devotion of the deacon St. 
Stephen in providing for the poor, the sick, and 
the needs of the infant Church? He was most 
constant in preaching the sacred truths and 
assisting the early Christians in all their 
necessities. He was the depositary and ad- 
ministrator of the goods of the Church, and he 
gave to all an example of perfect detachment, 



Feast of St. Stephen. k)"] 

and found his glory in the poverty which he 
had seen his divine Master practise. For one 
of his age to be intrusted with such important 
charges, his innocence, his . wisdom, his pru- 
dence were unquestionable. It is indeed true 
to say that if there were one among you pos- 
sessed of these eminent qualities, or having a 
sanctity so evident, you would entertain for 
him only sentiments of profound veneration. 

4. The protection ivJiich Ins patronage assures 
you. — The honor and the homage which you 
owe to St. Stephen should be great indeed, 
since you have the happiness to have him for 
your patron. When on earth he was power- 
ful in words and works ; now that he has tri- 
umphed he is still more powerful in his glory. 
Therefore, have fullest confidence in his pow- 
erful intercession, and in return he will have 
for you the same care which on earth he had 
for the widows and the orphans and the poor 
and for all those who were confided to him. 

II. Your imitation. — The Church on this 
solemnity presents to you also St. Stephen as 
your model. After the example of this illus- 
trious first martyr, we are all called to give 
testimony to Jesus, our Saviour and Master. 
We owe to Him the testimony of innocence 
and sanctity. How can we pretend to the 
title of children of God, of true followers of 



198 Feast of St. Stephen. 

Christ, if we do not make it our duty to live in 
a state of grace and to grow in perfection 
daily? How shall we be recognized as disci- 
ples of Jesus if not by our fidelity to hear and 
put in practice the teachings and precepts of 
the Gospel, which are given us by the Church? 

We owe to Jesus the testimony of zeal and 
devotion. St. Stephen manifested the highest 
courage and fearlessness, and performed prodi- 
gies among the people. I do not say that we 
should aspire to work miracles ; but if we wish 
to be, like our glorious patron, worthy follow- 
ers of Jesus Christ, we should have the cour- 
age and strength to resist the seductions and 
bad examples of the world, and publicly to as- 
sert our faith by our good works. While the 
crowds are running to enjoyment, pleasures, 
and amusements, we should not blush to direct 
our steps to the church, to assist at the holy 
offices, and approach the confessional and the 
holy table. Just see the courage and fear- 
lessness of St. Stephen ! The Jews could not 
bear the sight of his innocence, nor could they 
bear his fearlessly spoken words. Far from be- 
ing intimidated, he hurled against them these 
just but humiliating reproaches: "Ye hard- 
ened hearts, how long will you resist the Holy 
Ghost?'' 

The rebellious Jews prepared to take him 



St, Aloysius. 199 

without the city- walls, to stone him to death. 
But the holy deacon is not dismayed. This 
he regards as another opportunity to render to 
Jesus the most glorious testimony He can re- 
ceive from His disciples, the testimony of blood, 
Stephen offered to his Master the sacrifice of 
his whole life. 

At length he was overwhelmed by a shower 
of stones ; his last words were a prayer for par- 
don and an act of ardent charity : " Lord, do 
not impute this crime to them. Into Thy 
hands I commend my spirit.'* 

After his example we should be ready to 
defend our faith at the peril of our life, and 
we should have for our enemies and persecu- 
tors only sentiments of pity and pardon. Thus 
it is that we may assure ourselves of the pro- 
tection of St. Stephen, and, after having faith- 
fully imitated him on earth, we may thereby 
merit to share his glory. 



INSTRUCTION XXXVII. 
ST. ALOYSIUS. 

"Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou 
hast crowned him with glory and honor." — Ps. viii. 6. 



T 



HE Church applies these words of the 
prophet-king to St. Aloysius, whose festi- 
val we celebrate to-day. In their brevity 



200 St, Aloysius. 

they sum up the short but perfect life of this 
illustrious servant of God. We see at once 
the angelic purity which he manifested during 
life, and the incomparable glory with which 
God has crowned him in heaven. In the year 
1 59I5 when Louis de Gonzaga was twenty-three 
years old, he gave up his pure soul to God in 
the city of Rome. His was a short life — a 
life hardly commenced, but a life already 
full of saintly perfection and merit. We 
can say of him, as we say of the young 
Stanislaus Kostka: "In a short time he has 
accomplished a long career." One hundred 
and thirty-five years afterward Pope Benedict 
XIII. placed him upon our altars as worthy 
of veneration, and by a particular decree gave 
him to Christian youth as their protector and 
model. 

It is from this point of view that I wish to cele- 
brate with you the memory of St. Aloysius. 
He presents himself to our pious attention as a 
model of innocence and of penance. These two 
thoughts have been suggested by the prayer 
which the Church recites in the Mass of to-day. 

I. Model of innocence. — Louis de Gonzaga 
was born on the 9th day of March, 1568, in the 
castle of Chatillon. His parents were dis- 
tinguished for their piety as well as for the 
high position which they occupied in the 



St. Aloysius. 201 

world. The young Marquis of Chatillon early- 
understood the value of that treasure which 
the sacrament of baptism had deposited in his 
soul. He esteemed it far above the honors, 
the riches, and all the pleasures of earth. 
The first names which his infant tongue 
learned to speak were the names of Jesus and 
Mary. At the early age of nine years he 
made a vow of perpetual virginity before an 
altar of the Blessed Virgin in Florence. So 
carefully did he guard the holy virtue of purity, 
that by a special favor of God he was never 
called upon to reject a single temptation against 
chastity. His whole care was to preserve the 
innocence of his soul. The means which he 
employed were prayer, recollection of mind, 
and a continual vigilance over his eyes and all 
his senses. In fact, this is precisely what our 
blessed Saviour recommends in the Gospel to 
those who wish to be His disciples : " Watch 
and pray.*' 

Because the young Aloysius placed inno- 
cence above all things, he neglected nothing 
to preserve it. And now let us ask what es- 
teem have we for the purity of our soul? Do 
we regard it as the most precious treasure 
which we can possess? The world, which 
enchants, seduces, and deceives us, tells us to 
esteem fortune, honor, glory, and pleasures, 



202 -5/. Aloysius, 

while it inspires only indifference or contempt 
for all that is supernatural, and for all that 
relates to the invisible goods of eternity. 
By his example St. Aloysius teaches us that 
" there is only one thing necessary : to know 
God, to love and serve Him.'' This, according 
to the Wise Man, is " the whole man. '' In fact, 
this is the only end of life, and we should un- 
derstand it well and be thoroughly convinced 
of this truth even from earliest infancy. Our 
amiable saint understood this important truth 
well. To strengthen himself in the practice 
of virtue and to advance in perfection he loved 
solitude and shut himself up in his room, there 
to read and meditate on the lives of the saints. 
Look and see if there are many to-day in the 
world, and among the youth at the schools, who 
imitate this conduct. On the contrary, they 
eagerly devour romances, newspapers, and 
journals, which too often pervert the mind and 
corrupt the heart. Some there are, indeed, 
who read books of science and history both 
ancient and modern. But the lives of the 
saints, which are so beautiful, so attractive, so 
instructive, and so profitable to innocence and 
morality, are allowed to remain buried in the 
dust of the libraries, and there is no desire to 
seek in them models of Christian conduct. 
While St. Aloysius loved to open and read 



Sf. Aloysius. 203 

these edifying books, he still carefully closed 
the door of his senses. He guarded his eyes 
so carefully that he never looked at Mary of 
Austria, whom for several years he saluted 
each morning, in virtue of his office as page 
at the court of Spain. He did not even per- 
mit his eyes to rest on the face of his own 
mother. From this testimony we can easily 
understand how he was a perfect model of 
innocence. We will now see that he was also 
a model of penance. 

2. Model of penance. — You may ask me why 
St. Aloysius, who had the privilege to pre- 
serve his baptismal innocence, wished to sub- 
mit himself to a severe and continual pen- 
ance. The saints viewed penance in another 
light than we regard it. While we submit to 
it only with reluctance, they, on the contrary, 
regarded it as a great act of love for our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ. St. Aloysius em- 
braced penance to imitate our blessed Saviour 
and to become like to Him in all things. Well 
did he know that if we would merit to reign 
with Him in His glory we must suffer with 
Him on earth. 

Penance is, then, a preservative against the 
seductions of the world and the attractions 
of the passions. St. Aloysius found in his 
fasting, his watching, and the mortifications 



204 Sf. Aloysii/s. 

which he imposed on himself a powerful safe- 
guard against the assaults of the demon. The 
body, which we idolize, and of which we make 
a dangerous enemy by flattering its tastes, and 
by favoring its grosser instincts, our servant 
of God treated severely and made it subservi- 
ent. He used the discipline until his body 
freely bled three times each day. With his own 
hands he made the disciplines of leathern 
thongs and a hair shirt with sharp points. 
Oftentimes he placed in his bed pieces of 
wood to render it hard and uncomfortable 
and to shorten the time of sleep. He was a 
voluntary victim of penance and was also a 
martyr of charity. In fact, he was a victim 
to his devotion ; for while caring for the sick 
in the hospitals of Rome he contracted a fever 
which consumed him and brought him to the 
tomb at the early age of twenty-three years. 

It is true we are not called to imitate St. 
Aloysius in all his w^orks, but at least let us 
follow him in the practice of those virtues of 
which he is such a splendid example. If we 
cannot flatter ourselves to have preserved our 
baptismal innocence as our holy patron did, we 
can at least generously begin a life of penance. 
We will find in such a life a salutary expiation 
of faults committed, a preservative against new 
faults, and a source of merit for our future life. 



Sanctity, 205 

May St. Aloysius be our model in fidelity to 
prayer, vigilance over ourselves, the love of 
God and our neighbor, and he will be before 
God our powerful protector. Through his 
interx^ession let us hope to obtain that recom- 
pense which will be eternal. ' 



INSTRUCTION XXXVIII. 

SANCTITY. 
**Be holy because I am holy." — Levit. xi. 44. 

IT was the serious consideration of these 
words that exalted the saints to that high 
• • degree of honor and glory which they 
now enjoy in heaven. Because they have 
been faithful during their earthly existence, 
they are now placed on our altars, and the 
Church celebrates their memory by solemn 
festivals. We would not, however, fully com- 
prehend the devotion which is due to them, 
should we limit ourselves merely to the admir- 
ation of their virtues ; we should strive to imi- 
tate them. Our vocation is not at all different 
from theirs; we also are called to be saints; 
we also must, one day, share in that glory by 
which they are surrounded in heaven. Every 
true follower of Christ must strive for that end, 
whatever may be his rank or condition on earth. 



2o6 , Sanctity, 

Nor can we say that sanctity is difficult, or that it 
is something good only for certain chosen souls, 
whom God has called to live far from the em- 
barrassments of the world and its annoyances. 
No, heaven is closed to no one. Virtue is 
possible for all. And not only possible, but 
we can, no matter what our state or condition, 
arrive at the highest sanctity — that is to say, we 
can be numbered among those heroes whom 
the Church honors and invokes as her protec- 
tors. To awaken our faith and animate our 
courage, I wish to show you that sanctity is 
possible, and that it is most worthy of all our 
efforts. 

I. Sanctity is possible, — Sanctity is possible 
and within the reach of all men. It is neces- 
sary that it should be so. And why? Be- 
cause God has made it a duty for all men to 
sanctify themselves. " Be ye therefore holy 
as I am holy." *' Be ye therefore perfect as 
your heavenly Father is perfect." Now God 
does not command what is impossible. There- 
fore, since He has commanded us to be holy, 
it is possible for us to be holy. God could not 
impose on us something which is beyond our 
strength. In fact, what must we do to be 
sanctified? Is it necessary to work miracles? 
Must we lead an extraordinary life? Or is 
it necessary to submit to rigorous fasts, or 



Sanctity, 207 

scourge our bodies, or quit the world and 
bury ourselves in solitude? It is true the 
saints have done this and more, but there have 
been great saints in the Church of God who 
have not performed these prodigies of penance. 
What has especially produced sanctity in them 
is the care they have taken to preserve them- 
selves from sin in this life, or to expiate by 
penance the faults they had the misfortune 
to commit. 

Among the saints there are some who have 
been great sinners. St. Augustine, for exam- 
ple, lived long years a life of sinful pleas- 
ures. Magdalene also expiated a guilty life 
by shedding tears at the feet of the Saviour. 
St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, had de- 
nied his Master, and St. Paul confessed that 
he was a persecutor of the holy name of Jesus. 
Yet they did penance; they wept bitterly 
for their sinfulness, and were, sincerely con- 
verted to God. That which has made them 
saints was their fidelity to observe the law of 
God and to practise the Christian virtues. 
They had faith, but a lively, ardent, practical 
faith, which held their souls attentive to the 
truths which God has revealed, and which His 
Church teaches. Faith sustained them and 
animated their courage to endure persecutions, 
contempt, and all those trials which the ser- 



2o8 Sanctity. 

vants of God in this world must expect. The 
hope of future and eternal goods also prompted 
them to trample under their feet all the vani- 
ties and all the pleasures of earth. Their 
hearts, burning with intensest charity, stimu- 
lated them to esteem above all things the love 
for God and their neighbor. 

Why then will we not imitate them ? Why 
will we say that sanctity is something too 
difficult? The saints have had no other re- 
sources than those which we have. But what 
they had, and what we have not, is their good 
will. Our blessed Saviour tells us : '' The king- 
dom of heaven suffers violence, and the vio- 
lent bear it away." 

Around us on every side we see men busy 
and active to accumulate a fortune, striving 
to enjoy the pleasures of life, imposing on 
themselves the greatest sacrifices, overcoming 
every difficulty, and exposing themselves to 
countless dangers for some transitory good or 
some temporal advantage. Yet when there is 
question of submitting themselves to Christian 
duties and practices, when there is question of 
sanctifying themselves to merit heaven, every- 
thing is changed into an insurmountable ob- 
stacle. They plead their state of life, busi- 
ness, poverty, or health. We forget that 
the saints were of the same nature as our- 



Sanctity. 209 

selves; that they had the same passions to 
resist and the same temptations to combat. 
St. Augustine convinced himself that sanctity 
was not impossible for him by frequently re- 
peating: '* Augustine, can you not do what 
other Christians have done?" Surely we can- 
not regard as impossible what was possible for 
simple shepherds and the most obscure ser- 
vants. 

2. Sanctity is most ico7'thy of all our efforts, 
— It is not enough to show that sanctity is 
within the reach of all ; we must add that it is 
something great, sublime, and most worthy of 
our greatest efforts. What is sanctity? It is 
simply the light and strength of God, which 
descend and become incarnate in the heart of 
man. It is Christ living in the Christian and 
inspiring his thoughts and sentiments, and 
directing him in all his ways. In a word, 
sanctity perfects man and renders him like 
to God. Truth, purity, justice, goodness — all 
these virtues are marvellously united in the 
saints. Let a Christian take the Gospel and 
make it the rule of his conduct; let him follow 
its precepts and counsels, and nothing more 
will be necessary to make him a perfect man 
according to the heart of God — that is to say, 
a saint. Let us ask, Is there any undertaking 
more sublime, more worthy of our efforts than 
14 



2 1 o Sanctity, 

to attain to true glory, power, and the posses- 
sion of all the sweetest and most lasting joys? 
What glory is comparable to that of the saints? 
In heaven they are so intimately united with 
Jesus that they are one with Him, and in a 
measure share His divinity. On earth the 
names of the saints are chanted in every 
tongue, and their memory is celebrated with 
love and gratitude by all Catholic peoples. 
Their power is asserted by the countless mira- 
cles which God accords to their intercession 
and their merits. And what shall we say of 
their felicity, when St. Paul, exalted even to 
the third heaven, can find no words to tell 
what God has reserved for those who love 
Him? The Holy Spirit calls their joys ''a 
torrent of delights." Does not this glory, 
this power, this incomparable felicity merit all 
the affections of our heart, all the efforts of 
our will? Are they not worthy of the most 
generous sacrifices? Happy then shall we be 
if we zealously labor for the sanctification of 
our souls. This and this only will give us the 
assurance of that happiness which is eternal. 



Propagation of the Faith. 211 

INSTRUCTION XXXIX. 

PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH. 

" How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the 
gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good 
things." — Rom. x. 15. 

OF all the works inspired by the Catholic 
Church one of the most admirable and 
• • • one of the most agreeable to God is the 
work of the propagation of the faith. Each 
successive year the work becomes vaster and 
more extended. It was inaugurated in a city 
of France, by the zeal of an humble and pious 
woman. It has since spread throughout the 
whole world, and has been favorably received 
everywhere, and in all ranks of society. The 
wealthy consider it an honor to be enrolled 
in this society, and contribute toward it from 
their abundance, while the poor strive to econ- 
omize and, from their poverty, give their mite 
to associate their name, unknown except to 
God, in this holy work. This work is dear to 
you and to all. It will be still more so, I 
hope, when I shall have spoken to you of its 
excellence and of its results. You who have 
already the happiness of being members of 
this society will see that it is not in vain you 
have given your alms and your prayers, while 



212 Propagation of the Faith. 

you who are not yet associated in this society 
of the propagation of the faith will find in 
these words powerful encouragement to follow 
the example of so many others, and also ac- 
quire precious merits before God. The ex- 
cellence of the propagation of the faith is 
found in the end proposed, in the means em- 
ployed, and the results obtained. 

I. The cud proposed. — To carry the light of 
the Gospel and the knowledge of the true 
God, to open heaven, and close hell for multi- 
tudes of idolatrous people, who have hitherto 
been seated in darkness and the shadow of 
death, to make known to them their origin 
and their destiny, the holy name of our Lord 
and Saviour, and to make them children of the 
Church — these are the ends proposed by the 
work of the propagation of the faith. God has 
created all men for eternal salvation. But 
salvation cannot be attained except through 
the knowledge of Jesus and His Gospel. Now 
in the distant islands of Oceanica, in the dense 
forests of America, on the burning vSands of 
Africa, and in the vast territory of Asia, how 
many are still living in the darkness of pagan- 
ism, and give to the demon a worship which 
is due only to God ! It is to enlighten these 
people, and to lift them up from the profound 
degradation in which they are buried, that the 



Propagation of iJie Faith. 213 

work of the propagation of the faith has been 
instituted. It is a continuation of the work of 
our blessed Lord and His apostles. In fact, 
we can truly say, from a point of view purely 
human, the w^ork of the propagation is the 
master-work of our age. In our day w^e hear 
much talk of civilization and the means to 
propagate it in thew^orld. But all the learned 
Utopian theories and the lengthy declamations 
of philanthropists can attain nothing in com- 
parison with this eminently Catholic w^ork. 
The short prayer and the humble mite of an 
associate of the propagation of the faith have 
civilized more savages than all the enterprises 
of philanthropists and the reveries of human- 
itarians put together. What glory, therefore, 
to be associates in this grand society ! What 
a consolation for us to reflect that w^e are able 
to communicate to so many unfortunate people 
the tw^ofold blessing which we possess; viz., 
faith and civilization. Can we imagine a work 
more glorious for God or more meritorious for 
ourselves? 

2. Tlie means eviployed, — Excellent indeed is 
this w^ork when considered as to the end, but 
it is no less excellent if w^e consider the means 
employed. You know the means — prayer and 
alms-giving. To the eyes of human wisdom 
these means appear contemptible and weak, 



2 14 Propagation of tJie Faith. 

but in the eyes of faith they are truly great. 
Is not prayer the means which Our Lord has 
left us to obtain from His Father everything 
we ask? *' Amen I say to you if you will ask 
the Father anything in My name, He will give 
it to you." What then must be the power of 
prayer when it ascends to heaven from all 
points of the globe — when it springs forth 
from millions of hearts animated by the divine 
breath of charity? To prayer is added alms- 
giving, which is no less powerful with God. 
The greater the poverty of him to whom an 
alms is given the greater will be the recom- 
pense of him who generously gives it. And 
who are more miserable than those millions of 
human beings who are deprived of the best of 
all goods, which is the grace of God? All can 
make the offering required for membership 
in the society of the propagation of the faith. 
One cent each week is all that is asked. Who 
is there so poor that can refuse this small 
offering? Absolutely no one. This penny is 
indeed insignificant in itself, but in the ag- 
gregate it produces thousands, aye, millions. 
With this money the workmen in the vineyard 
of the Gospel are sustained in every part 
of the globe ; churches are built, schools are 
opened for the instruction of children, hospitals 
and homes are created for the aged and the 



Propagation of the Faith, 215 

sick, and, we add, heaven too is opened for 
countless millions of souls, who would have 
perished eternally had they been deprived of 
the opportunities which this society has af- 
forded them. 

3. Results produced, — Should we traverse the 
world we would find everywhere evidence of 
the wonders accomplished by the Society of 
the Propagation of the Faith. To the sweet 
influence of this society peoples w^ho had lived 
in the most degrading barbarism owe that 
civilization which places them to-day on the 
level of the most polished people of the world. 
Into great and flourishing America Catholic 
missionaries carried the light of God's truth, 
and everywhere in that vast country planted 
the cross of the Saviour. As America, Asia, 
Africa, and the islands of Oceanica advanced 
toward civilization, in the same measure 
the faith was received and shed its light 
upon them. It was in vain that the various 
sects sent their ministers laden with bibles and 
tracts to destroy paganism. To the Catholic 
Church alone is reserved the honor of spread- 
ing truth and life everywhere. 

While viewing these magnificent results 
of the work accomplished by this society, it 
is a consoling reflection that you have contrib- 
uted to these results by your prayers and 



2i6 The Holy Childhood. 

alms. Moreover, you are enriching yourself 
for eternity. The Sovereign Pontiffs have at- 
tached most precious indulgences to this holy 
work. By contributing to the conversion of 
the infidel you are laboring for your own 
sanctifi cation. In return for the slightest 
sacrifices God will grant abundant graces. 
Besides, the souls whom you will have helped 
to save will intercede for you before God in 
heaven, and you will have the happiness one. 
day to share their glory. 



INSTRUCTION XL. 

THE HOLY CHILDHOOD. 

"Suffer the little children to come unto Me." — St. Mark 
X. 14. 

THE Gospel assures us that our blessed 
Lord always manifested an especial pre- 
• • • dilection for children. He called them 
near to Him, embraced them affectionately, 
and gave them His most tender benedictions. 
Sometimes the apostles feared the importuni- 
ties of mothers, who pressed upon our divine 
vSaviour to present their children to Him. 
The apostles endeavored to put them away. 
Our divine Saviour, however, chided them for 
their over-zeal. He said : '' Suffer the little 



The Holy Childhood. 217 

children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, 
for of stich is the kingdom of God." Happy 
children ! united to-day in the house of God, 
you are the privileged friends of our Lord and 
Saviour. He sees in you the grace and 
innocence of your baptism. Happy parents 
who, possessing the gift of faith, have had 
nothing dearer to your hearts than to commu- 
nicate this faith to those who were born to 
you. But far away in distant China and in 
other idolatrous countries there are millions 
of children exposed to die without baptism. 
Our Saviour says to us Christians as He said 
formerly to the apostles : " Suffer the little 
children to come unto Me." In your name 
the Church has responded to the appeal of Our 
Saviour by the work of the Holy Childhood. 
I will speak to you of the origin, the means, 
and the advantages of this society. 

I. Its origin. — The work of the Holy Child- 
hood is in a sense the outcome of the work of 
the Propagation of the Faith. One day a pious 
person was touched with compassion at the 
sight of so many souls who, enveloped in the 
darkness of paganism, must perish eternally 
through the want of missionaries to instruct 
them in the truths of the Gospel and to baptize 
them. He was so moved by their deplorable 
condition that he determined to make an ap- 



2i8 The Holy Childhood. 

peal to the charity of Christian souls to col- 
lect some alms, and thereby assist those apostles 
who were devoting themselves to the salvation 
of the infidels. All that he asked was one 
cent each month, and a Pater and an Ave each 
day. This is the origin, the small beginning 
of that vast, incomparable work which to-day 
produces incredible sums of money, and opens 
heaven to millions of the elect at all points of 
the habitable w^orld. But in the idolatrous 
countries, and especially in the vast empire of 
China, which counts more than three hundred 
millions of inhabitants, a heart-rending specta- 
cle constantly presents itself. Countless chil- 
dren are abandoned and left exposed to death. 
Unnatural mothers stifle their little ones with 
their own hands, and are not at all moved by 
their cries. Still others cast their newly-born 
babes into the water or sewers, or ditches, or 
leave them on the wayside, where they are 
devoured by dogs or swine. 

A t'rench prelate, a man of God, touched by 
the condition of these innocent creatures, in 
the tenderness of his soul conceived the 
thought of saving them from death. This 
was the origin of the work of the Holy Child 
hood. This society will do for the salvation 
of the little children what the ''propagation ' 
will do for the conversion of infidels. What 



The Holy Childhood. 219 

work, then, can be more agreeable to the lov- 
ing heart of Jesus than this? Your wish is, 
O Lord ! that the children should be brought to 
Thee. Behold, we are now ready to give our 
alms and to offer our prayers that we may 
merit Thy blessing for ourselves and for our 
young brethren. 

2. TJie means, — But you will say, since these 
poor pagan children are counted by the million, 
how is it possible to reach them? What means 
have we powerful enough to triumph over all 
the obstacles w^hich hinder the success of such 
a vast enterprise? 

Charity is ingenious : it will succeed in every- 
thing which it undertakes for God. To save 
these little Chinese children and others from 
the barbarity of their unnatural parents and 
from the tyranny of the demon ; to procure for 
them the blessing of baptism and to open 
heaven for them, charity will prompt all the 
children of the holy Catholic Church to be- 
come little apostles, who by their prayers and 
their alms will send priests, religious and de- 
voted missionaries, who will have for these 
abandoned children the heart of a father and a 
mother. They will gather them up from the 
streets and lanes ; they will snatch them from 
the teeth of vile animals ; they will even pur- 
chase them, if necessary, from their unnatural 



2 20 The Holy Childhood. 

parents. They will baptize them. The poor 
children who w^ill die will go straight to heaven. 
They who will live will grow up in the faith, 
the love, and the knowledge of our Lord and 
Saviour. Behold, Christian parents! the ob- 
ject for which we ask from each of your children 
one cent per month. But this coin, supple- 
mented by the prayer which will come from 
innocent hearts, will be a powerful means 
for the spiritual regeneration of so many frail 
and unfortunate creatures, who without the 
assistance of your charity would be condemned 
to perish miserably in this world, and never to 
see God in the life to come. 

3. TJic advaiitagcs. — The work of the Holy 
Childhood is most fruitful in results for the 
spiritual and temporal life of these poor pagan 
children. This work diffuses the knowledge 
of the Gospel and true civilization among in- 
fidel people. It does more, since it contains 
the most precious advantages for all associates. 

God wnll never allow Himself to be con- 
quered by generosity. In return for the small 
alms you offer to this work you will receive 
the most abundant benedictions. The holy 
books tell us that prayer and alms-giving are 
omnipotent before God. They will penetrate 
even to heaven and cause to descend on us all 
necessary graces. These little children, to save 



The Holy Childhood. 221 

whom you contribute, will become so many 
angels, w^ho will glorify God and pray for you. 
These young associates of the Holy Child- 
hood, early formed to the practice of charit}^ 
will contract the most salutary habit. I am 
sure it will be among these, later on, that you 
will find the best assistance in all w^orks which 
will have for their object the glory of God and 
the love of our neighbor. And what advantages 
also in the rich indulgences which the Sov- 
ereign Pontiff has attached to the association 
of the Holy Childhood ! What countless merits 
amassed for heaven ! If a cup of water will 
not remain without recompense, then what 
shall we say of those acts of charity, spiritual 
and corporal, performed throughout the uni- 
verse by the holy missionaries whom you sus- 
tain, and whose labors and merits you share? 
Continue, then, to uphold this admirable work 
of the Holy Childhood! Zealously strive to 
spread it round about you, and you can reason- 
ably expect that, one day, our blessed Lord 
will share with you the kingdom of His glory. 



222 The First Mass After Ordiiiation. 

INSTRUCTION XLI. 

THE FIRST MASS AFTER ORDINATION. 
*'For Christ we are ambassadors." — ii. Cor. v. 20. 

OUR blessed Saviour, after His glorious 
resurrection and before ascending into 
• • • heaven, selected among men a class es- 
pecially charged to continue to the end of 
time His own sacred ministry for the salvation 
and wSanctification of souls. This holy sacer- 
dotal tribe or race is the clergy, who to-day, as 
always, have had the singular privilege of 
suffering the hatred and persecutions of pre- 
tended modern civilization. Men have not 
been wanting who denounced them as public 
enemies. St. Paul, besides his title of "the 
great apostle," had also the title of Roman citi- 
zen. He did not fear, when circumstances 
required, to vindicate the honor due to his 
sacred ministry. He did not hesitate to ar- 
raign the Jews who violated the law of respect 
toward him and his brethren in the apostolate. 
To the Corinthians he said : '' We are the 
delegates, the ambassadors of Christ." Let 
us then to-day consider what is the priest in 
his character and functions, and also the duties 
which this character and these functions im- 
pose on us. 



The First Mass After Ordination. 223 

I . Character and functions of the priest, — That 
man clothed in a severe costume, different 
from the garb of most men, whose modest and 
quiet dwelling stands in the midst of your own ; 
that man who is constantly before your eyes 
and who presides at all your assemblies in the 
church — who is he? Whence does he come? 
Some twenty years ago he was born under a 
modest roof, of parents who had no other 
patrimony than their labor and their faith. In 
his early years the child was placed in an es- 
tablishment under the vigilance of learned and 
devoted masters. After ten or twelve years 
of mental labor, constantly subjected to trial 
and discipline, he believes himself called to 
renounce the world and to labor for the salva- 
tion of souls. Then he enters the seminary. 
There, during four or five years, he devotes 
himself to the twofold and difficult labor of 
study and piety. With the approbation of 
veterans in the sanctuary, the bishop calls the 
young levite, and marks him with the tonsure 
as a sign of his renunciation of the vanities of 
the world. He initiates him in his sacred 
duties, receives his glorious and irrevocable 
vows of chastity and obedience, and, while im- 
posing liiiids on him, invokes the Holy Spirit 
and consecrates him forever a priest according 
to the order of Melchisedech. In virtue of the 



2 24 The First Mass After Ordination. 

plenitude of the priesthood which the bishop 
has received as a successor of the apostles, he 
communicates to the young priest whom he 
consecrates all the powers which belong to 
the august ministry confided to him. In 
the words of Christ, he says: *' As My Father 
hath sent Me I send you." "Go and teach.'' 
This priest, who ascends the pulpit for the first 
time, however humble or timid he may be, is 
no longer a mere man who comics to speak to 
other men. He is a delegate, an ambassador, 
a representative of Christ, and he comes to an- 
nounce the Gospel to every creature. And he 
comes, too, with an authority which is none 
other than that of Jesus Christ, the Son of 
God: Go, priest of God, and speak in My 
name. " He who hears you hears Me, and he 
that despises you despises Me and Him that 
sent Me." 

In the pulpit the priest is the teacher in the 
name of Christ. In the tribunal of penance 
he is a judge. The bishop has said to him: 
'Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins you for- 
give shall be forgiven ; whose sins you retain 
shall be retained." And not only is he the 
teacher and judge: he is also the physician 
who will heal the wounds of souls by giving 
the most salutary remedies. Being the repre- 
sentative and delegate of Christ, he has also 



The First Mass After Ordination. 225 

the grace of his office to console every sorrow 
and to give a balm for every moral wound. For 
the true Christian is there on earth a more 
tender father, a more devoted friend than the 
priest? Follow him in all the details of his 
sacred ministry, and then you will understand 
the words of Jesus to the priests of His Church 
in their fullest meaning : '' You are the salt of 
the earth ; you are the light of the world." 

2. Ditties zuhich this character and these ftmc- 
tions impose on us, — If the cassock of the priest 
is calculated to inflame infernal anger, it is also 
likely to awaken in Catholic hearts the purest 
and noblest sentiments. What is the priest in 
the eyes of faith? He is a man consecrated 
to God. You owe him, therefore, that relig- 
ious respect with which you are filled — in the 
church, at the altar, at the foot of the cross. 
The priest is the man of the Church, the minis- 
ter at the altar, the dispenser of the divine 
mysteries, and he always carries the cross 
literally. Should you see a church poorly con- 
structed, decorated without taste, and badly 
appointed, yet it is the house of God, and with 
all its shortcomings your respect is no less 
profound. Why then will you esteem and 
venerate the priest less when you see in him 
some defects, some imperfections which are 
inherent to our poor human nature ? 
15 



2 26 The First Mass After Ordination, 

The priest is the teacher and the master 
who speaks to you in the name of Jesus Christ. 
How would you listen to our blessed Saviour 
if you had the happiness to hear Him person- 
ally! With what attention, with what recol- 
lection, with what care and docility you would 
receive His divine teachings! One day He 
will require of you an account of the use you 
have made of His word spoken by His minis- 
ter. What the priest commands it is Jesus 
Himself Who commands, and what the priest 
forbids it is God Himself Who forbids. If 
you are Christians and devoted children of the 
Church, you will then obey with submission, 
with joy and love, all that the priest will com- 
mand in the name and by the authority of the 
divine Master. That man who is sent to you 
to instruct and direct and govern, and, if neces- 
sary, to correct you, is a father, who wishes 
only the good of his children. He is a friend 
entirely devoted to your dearest interests. He 
is a good shepherd, whose mission it is to watch 
over his flock and protect it from the murder- 
ous teeth of wolves. For all these titles he 
merits your fullest confidence, your best love, 
and your entire devotion. Our blessed Lord 
has said that He would regard whatever was 
done for the least of His followers as having 
been done for Him." The blasphemies hurled 



The Stations of the Cross, 227 

against the humblest of His priests will cry for 
vengeance, and will be punished as an outrage 
against the very person of the Son of God. 
And we may add that the respect, the honor, 
and veneration shown to a priest will be re- 
ferred to Jesus Himself, and will be recom- 
pensed with an eternal glory. 



INSTRUCTION XLII. 

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS. 

"Christ having suffered in the flesh, be ye also armed 
with the same thought." — i. St. Peter iv. i. 

THERE should be no memory dearer or 
more familiar to the Christian than the 
• • • sufferings and. death of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. The apostle St. Peter 
exhorts us to keep in mind this holy and salu- 
tary thought as a preservative against the ene- 
mies of our salvation : '' Be ye therefore armed 
with this thought.'* The Church has blessed 
and enriched with many indulgences this pious 
practice everywhere known as the way of the 
cross, I wish on this occasion to speak to you 
of the excellence and advantages of this devo- 
tion, and consequently to recommend to you its 
constant practice. Oh, how much we may say 



2 28 The Stations of the Cross. 

on this vast subject ! This devotion is certainly- 
one of the most valuable for us in instruction. 
It is replete with consolation, and abounds 
with grace and every kind of spiritual bless- 
ings. We will, therefore, meditate on the 
sanctity of its origin, the memories of faith 
which it awakens, and the graces and privileges 
with which it is enriched. 

I. The sanctity of its origin, — The practice of 
the way of the cross essentially goes back to 
the hill-side of Calvary. It was at the foot of 
this hill, ever illustrious by the sacrifice of the 
adorable Victim for our salvation, that we see 
the beginning of this devotion. Jesus, our 
divine Master, was the first to walk on this 
sacred w^ay, and He marked each footstep by 
the drops of His sacred blood. By accepting 
for Himself all the rigors of this sorrowful 
journey, He has smoothed the difficulties for 
all those whom He invites to follow Him. 
This pathway, which He has sprinkled with 
His sweat and blood, He asks us sinners 
to water with our tears. What He once told 
the daughters of Jerusalem He now tells us: 
*'Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves 
and your children," that you may merit the 
pardon which is offered you by My cross. 

After Jesus, or rather with Him, we see 
Mary, His virgin Mother, following as closely 



The Stations of the Cross. 229 

as her strength will allow. An old and 
pious tradition relates that the Blessed Vir- 
gin after the death of her divine Son often 
walked over the long road which leads from 
the house of Pilate to the summit of Golgotha; 
and while making this journey she reflected 
on the sufferings which Jesus had endured 
at each step of the way. When the Gospel 
speaks of the tender Mother, standing at the 
foot of the Cross during the agony of the 
Saviour, we are led to understand that Mary 
faithfully followed her divine Son on the way 
to Calvary. We can then truly say to her, 
Yes, Virgin Mother, you were the first to make 
the way of the cross ; permit us to accompany 
thee to the holy mountain, that we may be 
united to thee during the immolation of thy 
divine Son. 

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved fol- 
lowed, and for this reason Jesus wished to 
have him as a witness and a companion on 
this sorrowful journey. In his turn the pious 
centurion came and found in the way of the 
cross the way to heaven. And Magdalene, 
poor penitent Magdalene, was among the first 
to shed on the sacred way the tears of her 
repentance and her love. Such is the glorious 
and holy origin of the way of the cross. The 
first Christians preserved this tradition piously, 



230 The Stations of the Ci'oss. 

and it was on the road to Calvary they sought 
strength to walk joyfully to martyrdom. 

2. The memories of fait li it awakens, — The 
devotion of the way of the cross is calculated 
to remind us of the holiest and most august 
mysteries of our redemption. What a touch- 
ing memorial of the passion of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ ! With our divine Master 
we enter the praetorium of Pilate, and there 
we are witnesses of the iniquitous sentence 
which condemned Him to death. We see 
Him laden with the heavy cross and falling 
three times under this burden, which weighs 
on His wounded and bloody shoulders. Here 
the innocent Victim meets His blessed Mother, 
who would snatch Him from His executioner. 
Finally, we arrive at Calvary, where God's jus- 
tice is satisfied as well as the love of Jesus and 
the malice of men. There are the execution- 
ers. They strip our blessed Saviour of His 
clothing, they drive the nails into His sacred 
feet and hands. They raise the cross, and the 
Saviour of the world expires on it, after hav- 
ing given us, as an inheritance, His body, His 
Sacred Heart, and His Mother. Is there, I ask, 
a memory more sorrowful or more consoling 
than this? I shall not be astonished to learn 
that the way of the cross in this church is one 
of the most popular and practical devotions. 



The Stations of the Cross. 231 

In fact, after the holy sacrifice of the Mass 
there is no more excellent and salutary devo- 
tion than this one — to follow our blessed Sa- 
viour in His sorrowful journey, to take pait 
in His sufferings, and to meditate on His ex- 
ample of suffering, humility, resignation, and 
compassion. In fine, this devotion is within 
the reach of all. Even the most illiterate can 
follow the way of the cross just as well as the 
most learned. It will be sufficient to recite a 
Pater and an Ave while meditating a few mo- 
ments at each of the stations which compose 
the way of the cross. 

3. The graces and privileges with which it is 
enriched, — The way of the cross is also a source 
of abundant graces and precious privileges 
for souls who make it piously. There are 
graces of penance and conversion. What 
sentiments, what attractions for justice, what 
bitter regret for innocence lost, are born in 
our hearts while contemplating the heart-rend- 
ing scenes of Calvary ! Do we not experience 
the need of embracing the rigors of penance 
when we behold the sufferings which Jesus, 
Who is innocence and sanctity, has endured for 
the expiation of our crimes ! How can we re- 
main under the weight of sin and delay our 
return when we behold Jesus shedding His 
blood to appease the justice of His Father? 



2^2 The Stations of the Cross. 

For faithful and just souls the way of the 
cross is the principle of the sweetest consola- 
tions. Their happiness must be to share the 
bitter chalice of the Saviour, and to carry after 
Him the cross, the sorrow, the tribulations, 
and the inevitable trials of the present life. 

As to the privileges attached to the exercise 
of the way of the cross, they consist especially 
in the countless indulgences with which the 
Sovereign Pontiffs have enriched this devotion. 
Our stations are favored with as many indul- 
gences as Jerusalem and the holy places. Is it 
not true that you would consider it a great 
happiness to visit the Holy Land and kiss the 
foot-prints of our dear Lord on the way to 
Calvary? This, no doubt, would inflame your 
charity, animate your faith, and obtain the 
pardon of your sins. You have here all these 
precious advantages. Hereafter, in your own 
church, by devoutly making the stations of 
the cross, you can gain the same blessings as 
if you had visited the Holy Land personally. I 
exhort you, therefore, to be faithful in this 
devotion, and you will merit all the graces 
which our blessed Lord will give you for time 
and for eternity. 



Good Works. 233 

INSTRUCTION XLIII. 

GOOD WORKS. 

"Labor the more that by good works you may make 
sure your calling and election. " — 11. St. Peter i. 10. 

ST. PETER, after having preached the Gos- 
pel and imparted the light of faith to the 
• • • people of Asia Minor, finally exhorted 
them earnestly to practise good works. He 
assured them that this would not only prove 
their vocation to the true faith, but would also 
make certain their election among the children 
of God. In fact, it would have been a small 
matter for them to have heard the word of 
God, to have been purified in baptism from 
their original fault, and even to bear the title 
of Christians, if they did not practise the works 
which our holy religion prescribes. There is, 
however, a very large number of people to-day 
who imagine they have fulfilled their full duty 
when they avoid sin and carefully guard 
themselves against all that which seems op- 
posed to the teachings and precepts of the 
Church. For these souls all that whxch is de- 
nominated good works is a matter of superero- 
gation, counselled indeed by the Gospel, but not 
at all necessary for salvation. Now, this is an 
illusion which we wish to destroy. To accom- 



2 34 Good Works. 

plish this we deem it only necessary to estab- 
lish the necessity, the advantages and the con- 
ditions to perform good works for all Chris- 
tians without exception. 

I. The necessity, — That good works are nec- 
essary to merit eternal life is a truth which 
is confirmed by abundant proofs in the Gospel, 
the Old Testament, and the writings of the 
fathers. The parable of the talents, the male- 
diction of the sterile fig-tree, the exclusion of 
the ten foolish virgins from the marriage- 
feast, prove nothing else than the absolute 
necessity of good works. Our blessed Saviour 
has not only taught this truth, but He has also 
given the example. He did not limit Himself 
to give us the means to attain eternal life ; He 
has wished to put in practice that which He 
taught. He became incarnate, humbled Him- 
self, He prayed day and night. He labored to 
save souls and to heal men from their infirmi- 
ties, He suffered the horrible torments of the 
passion, and, to show the excess of His love, 
He died on a cross. Now, in all this, what 
has He done if not to give us the example to 
associate our works to His, to assure us of 
eternal salvation? Moreover, He declares that 
to be saved it will not suffice to say to Him : 
'' Lord ! Lord !" but that it is necessary to do the 
will of His Father. '' Not all who say to Me, 



Good Works. 235 

Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of 
heaven, but he who does the will of My Fa- 
ther, he will enter the kingdom of heaven." 
On the last day, before the dread tribunal, 
whom will he recompense? Is it they who 
will have believed? Not at all. He will re- 
ward those who will have accomplished good 
works in addition to their belief in Him. He 
will say: "Come, ye blessed of My Father; be- 
cause I was hungry and you gave Me to eat ; I 
was thirsty and you gave Me to drink ; I was 
sick and you visited Me. " Our blessed Saviour 
is pleased to say that He will consider these 
good works as having been done for Himself, 
even when the least of His children have been 
their object. Our divine teacher has only re- 
newed a precept long since established and 
recounted in several passages of Holy Writ. 
Tobias was about to die, and, calling his chil- 
dren to him, he commanded them to instruct 
their children in the necessity of doing good 
works. The great St. Augustine sums up the 
teaching of all the fathers on this point. 
In his treatise on " Duties" he says that to at- 
tain happiness it is not enough to have the 
good will or the desire of doing good : it is ab- 
solutely necessary to perform the good works 
which are the consequences and the fruits of 
faith. 



236 Good Works. 

2. Advantages, — We have seen the necessity 
of good works ; let us now inquire w^hat are the 
advantages. Good works are the most excellent 
means we have to satisfy the justice of God 
and expiate our sins in this world. By our 
good works we attract toward ourselves God's 
choicest graces and favors. Therefore it is 
that in great public necessities the Church 
prescribes for the faithful fasting, alms, and 
prayers, to appease God and obtain His assist- 
ance. These works are an authentic and 
public profession of faith and confidence in 
God. Besides, our divine Saviour has said: 
'' Where there^ are two or three gathered to- 
gether in My name I will be in the midst of 
them to hear them." 

There is, moreover, in the fulfilment of good 
works such a sweet consolation that even the 
pagans themselves are capable of experiencing 
it. Was it not Titus who grieved and com- 
plained that he had lost a day when the even- 
ing came, as he could not remember having 
performed at least one good action? Each good 
work which we perform acquires for us new 
merits before God and purchases for us a new 
degree of glory in a blissful eternity. Are not 
all these advantages eminently calculated to 
excite our zeal and animate our courage to 
accomplish all the good works we can? And, 



Good Works. 237 

mark well : there is no question here of com- 
mon, transitory gain for which men are usually 
so eager ; that which we hope for is an assured 
recompense, without measure and without end. 
3. Conditions, — To receive from our good 
works all the fruits we have a right to expect 
certain conditions are necessary. These works 
must be performed in a state of grace, God 
does not regard so much an action in itself as 
He regards the dispositions of him who per- 
forms it. Therefore it is that He favorably 
received the gifts of Abel, because of his in- 
nocence and purity, while He rejected the 
offerings of Cain , because he was wicked. And 
hence St. Paul says : " Although I should give 
all my goods to the poor and have not charity, 
I am nothing. " Our good works should be per- 
formed with purity of intention. Our blessed 
Saviour tells us to take care lest we perform 
our good works before men for the approval 
of men. St. Bernard also tells us a bad in- 
tention entirely destroys all the good which 
one may do. A spirit of faith should accom- 
pany our good works; that is to say, that in 
all things we should have before us the ex- 
ample of Our Lord, proposing for ourselves 
the glory of His Father as the principle of all 
our actions. We should also do our good 
works in the name of Oitr Lord Jesus Christy Who 



2 3^ Charity towaj'd the Poor, 

will not allow a cup of cold water to be given 
without recompense. 

Lastly, perseverance is necessary to assure 
the recompense of our good works. " Be ye 
not weary in doing good works,'* says St. Paul. 
This is the counsel which the Apostle gives, 
and which I exhort you to follow, to please 
God and merit eternal recompense. 



INSTRUCTION XLIV. 

CHARITY TOWARD THE POOR. 

"The poor you have always with you." — St. Matt. 
xxvi. II. 

WHEN our divine Saviour came into this 
world He not only wished to be born 
• • • in absolute poverty, and to spend thirty 
years of His life in obscurity and labor, but 
He also wished to leave His disciples to the 
end of time the salutary spectacle of poverty. 
He said: I must go: I must leave you, but 
you will always have the poor among- you, 
as a remembrance of Me. This is something 
the world does not understand. The world is 
scandalized at these words, and if it cannot ab- 
solutely suppress the poor, it makes laws and 
rules to interdict them from begging publicly. 
The sight of tattered garments and the cry 



Charity toiuard the Poor. 239 

of misery disturb the pleasure and the feasts 
of the gay world; and almost everywhere we 
find these words, "Begging is forbidden/' 
Charity, however, inspires for the poor nobler 
and more generous sentiments, and I wish to 
say to you that we should honor and love and 
assist the worthy poor. 

I. We should honor tlicm. — Yes, we should 
honor the poor, because our divine Saviour 
honored them. It was from among them He 
chose His blessed Mother. At the birth of 
the Man-God Mary had only a miserable hovel 
to shelter them, the poorest garments to pro- 
tect His delicate person, and a manger and a 
little straw on which to place Him. A foster- 
father was necessary for the divine Infant, and 
St. Joseph, a poor and obscure workman, must 
care for the Child and His Mother. During 
thirty years Jesus, the Son of God, equal to 
His Father, is known only by the name of 
workman and the son of a carpenter. At the 
beginning of His public life it was in honor 
-of the poor, at the wedding-feast of Cana, 
that He performed His first miracle. His 
generous heart could not refuse them, and 
hence, at the request of Mary, His Mother, 
He changed the water into wine. True, 
indeed. He announced the salvation and re- 
demption of the world, but He declared that it 



240 Charity toivard the Poor, 

was to the poor especially He had been sent: 
" The Father has sent Me to make known the 
Gospel to the poor." When there is need of 
calling apostles and disciples to follow Him, 
whom does He call? Is it to the learned, the 
rich, or the powerful He appeals? There are 
on the lake of Galilee some poor fishermen, 
who have no other fortune than the boats and 
nets which they daily use, and painfully 
mend. These are the men whom He chose 
and whom He called to do His work. The 
first words which fell from His sacred lips at 
the outset of His public life are a summary 
of all His teaching — proclaiming the happiness 
of the poor, and announcing the grandeur of 
their future ro)^alty. " Blessed are the poor 
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
Thus it is that our divine Lord has honored the 
poor. Now the world forgets them and de- 
spises them, but we know that they are the 
friends and the privileged people of God. The 
honor which we give them is given Our Sa- 
viour Himself, since He has said : " Whatever 
you do for the least of My little ones, I will 
consider as having been done for Me." 

2. Love the7n. — Not only should we honor 
the poor: we should also love them. They are 
certainly comprised in the general precept of 
love for our neighbor. They are the creatures 



Charity toward the Poor, 241 

of God, as we are. If they do not share an 
equal division of the goods of earth with the 
wealthy, they have over the spiritual goods of 
grace the same rights as every one else. 
They have their place in the Church and at 
the sacred banquet, by the side of the other 
members of the Christian family. We owe 
them all the love which brethren have a right 
to expect from us. Their very poverty is a 
title to the greater affection of our hearts, be- 
cause poverty gives them a particular trait or 
resemblance to our blessed Lord and Saviour. 
They are His brethren. His members, His 
most perfect image. Their poverty is accom- 
panied by sufferings and sorrows and trials of 
every kind. This is for us another motive 
for loving the poor. See the saints whose 
hearts were full of intensest love for God ; 
what tender, affectionate, and devoted love 
they had for the poor, especially the most 
abandoned and the most unfortunate ! With 
what fervor a St. Elizabeth pressed to her 
lips the sick and suffering poor! With what 
devotion a St. Peter Claver made himself the 
slave of poor negroes covered with leprosy! 
Ah, it was in the poor they loved Jesus Christ, 
who for us wished to submit Himself to pov- 
erty, sufferings, and sorrow. Sometimes let 

us ask ourselves if we truly love our Lord 
16 



242 Charity iowai'd the Poor. 

and Saviour Jesns Christ. The sure standard 
of our love for Him is our love for the poor. 

3. Assist them. — If our love for the poor is 
a true and sincere love, it will prompt us to 
assist them. How can we witness the misery 
and poverty of our unfortunate brethren 
without being touched with compassion and 
desiring to assist them by all the means in 
our power? We should give, and give gener- 
ously, of our superfluous goods, and we should 
even give something of what we consider 
necessary for ourselves to assist those who 
are in need. We are children of the Catholic 
Church, and we should be inspired by the 
devotion of this tender Mother to solace and 
care for the poor. Everywhere she opens 
hospitals, asylums, schools in which her priests 
and her religious gather the poor to clothe, 
nourish, and instruct them, and devote them 
to her service. We should, by our alms, 
sustain these holy institutions of charity. 
Let our hands be always open to the poor. 
We lend to the Lord what we give to the poor. 
Nor can we ever forget that eternal recom- 
pense is especially promised to the exercise of 
charity toward the poor. Listen to our blessed 
Saviour speaking to the elect on the last day : 
" Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess the 
kingdom prepared for you from the founda- 



Forty Hours' Devotion. 243 

tion of the world. I was hungry and you gave 
Me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me to 
drink ; I w^as a stranger and you received Me ; 
I was naked and you clothed Me ; I w^as sick 
and you visited Me." All these w^orks, per- 
formed for the poor in the name of Jesus, w411 
be the joy of your hearts on earth and the 
glory of your souls in heaven. 



INSTRUCTION XLV. 

FORTY HOURS' DEVOTION. 

**Come, let us adore and fall down, for He is the Lord 
our God." — Ps. xciv. 6, 7. 

IT is in the name of the Church and of the 
diocese that we are called, on this solemn 
• • occasion, before God's earthly dwelling- 
place, to offer our heart's best homage to our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Every day, as you know, 
the Most Blessed Sacrament is publicly exposed 
in some church of the diocese, so that our 
divine Lord is adored constantly in this sacra- 
ment of His love. The faithful on earth are 
imitating the blessed in heaven by their per- 
petual devotion. To-day it is you who are 
invited to celebrate the forty hours' adoration, 
and to render to God in the Most Holy Sacra- 



244 Forty Hours' Devotion. 

ment of the Altar, in your own name and in 
the name of the Catholics of the diocese, the 
worship which is dne to Him. With the 
psalmist, therefore, I will say to you, Let us 
adore Jesus our Saviour and our God, really 
present in the sacrament of His love, and ex- 
posed on His throne of glory and mercy. Let 
us prostrate ourselves before His divine maj- 
esty, with the heavenly spirits who surround 
Him. The Lord our God is here. His body, 
His blood, His soul. His divinity, veiled under 
the species or appearance of bread. What we 
owe especially to Jesus exposed on our altar 
on this solemnity is adoration, love, and repa- 
ration. 

I. Adoration, — Our faith reminds us that the 
blessed Eucharist is the Son of God made man 
for our redemption and our salvation. Faith 
assures us that He is there, on that throne 
illuminated and adorned, really living, glori- 
ous, and triumphant, even as He is in heaven 
at the right hand of His Father. What, there- 
fore, is the first sentiment which should fill 
our hearts if not profoimd adoration? What 
do the saints and angels say who share the 
glory of heaven? " Benediction, honor, glory, 
and power to Him Who is seated on the 
throne.'' The God Who in heaven receives 
the adorations of the elect and blessed spirits 



Forty Hours' Devotion. 245 

is the same Who dwells in the midst of 
us. Hear the words of our blessed Saviour 
Himself: "Behold, I am with you all days, 
even to the end of the world." Therefore, 
whether He descends upon our altars in the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass, or whether He re- 
poses in the sacred vessels of the sanctuary, 
we should not appear before Him except with 
sentiments of profound adoration. But to-day 
we have the happiness to behold Him elevated 
on this earthly throne, w^hich loving hands 
have reared for Him. To-day His temple 
is ablaze with lights, full of the perfume 
of incense, adorned with flowers, and there 
should be in the whole extent of this parish 
but one voice to repeat with the prophet-king, 
Come, young and old; come, rich and poor, 
just and sinners ; come, let us offer to Jesus 
our adoration. Let us prostrate before Him 
with respect. Let us proclaim Him our God 
and our King and our Saviour. He is the God 
of the crib in Bethlehem, of Thabor, and of 
Calvary. 

2. Love, — If in the Holy Eucharist Jesus 
appears to us as our God and merits our ado- 
ration, He is also there as our saviour, our 
friend, our brother, and our master. He has 
given Himself to us under all these titles, and 
He is therefore worthy our best love and grati- 



246 Forty Hours' Devotion. 

tude. As our saviour, does He not immolate 
Himself every day to satisfy the justice of His 
Father and to apply to us the merits of His 
passion and death ? '' Greater love than this 
no man hath, than to lay down his life for his 
friend." This incomparable charity Jesus has 
had for us, and He has established the holy 
Eucharist precisely to preserve the remem- 
brance of His love: "This do in remem- 
brance of Me." As a friend, He is there to 
console us and to be the companion of our 
exile. ''I will not leave you orphans; I will 
be with you always." As a brother, He makes 
us participants of His divine nature and estab- 
lishes us by His grace co-heirs wuth Him. As 
a master. He continues for us His divine 
teachings in the adorable Eucharist, and gives 
us the example of every virtue : '' I have 
given you an example, and as I have done, so 
do you also." Who is there, then, who w^ll 
not love this God, this Father, this Saviour, 
this Brother, this Friend, and this good Mas- 
ter? He is with us now, dwells with us con- 
stantly; this Good Shepherd feeds His flock 
with His own body and blood. Ah, it is on 
this solemnity that we can understand the words 
of St. Paul: ''If there is among you any one 
who does not love Our Lord Jesus Christ, then 
let him be anathema," 



Forty Hours' Devotion. 247 

3. Reparation, — There is, however, a sad- 
dening thought which steals into our souls 
at the foot of the altar, and mingles sorrow 
with our songs of joy. If the faithful eagerly 
offer to Jesus the homage of adoration and 
love, impiety denies, outrages, and blasphemes 
Him. There are still many Pharisees who 
pursue Him with their contempt and hatred ; 
there are also iniquitous judges to condemn 
Him, false witnesses to accuse Him, a blinded 
and perverted populace to demand His death. 
There are still many Judases to betray Him 
and executioners to crucify Him. The history 
of the passion in all its lamentable details are 
renewed for Jesus in this sacrament of His love. 
It is for you. Christians, devoted friends, faith- 
ful servants, to console His heart during the 
solemnity of the forty hours. It is for you to 
repair the outrages which blinded and per- 
verted men direct against the adorable person. 
of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. During 
these blessed days you will come to prostrate 
yourselves before our merciful Saviour, at the 
foot of His earthly throne. There you will 
pour out your heart's best affections, and make 
amends for the contempt, the forgetfulness, 
and the coldness of men toward Jesus always 
abiding with us. Then will our blessed Lord 
say to you : '' You have shared in My trials, 



248 Visits to the Blessed Sacrament 

and I will give to 3^011, as My Father hath 
given to Me, a kingdom, that you may always 
eat and drink at My table." Luke xxii. 29. 



INSTRUCTION XLVI. 

VISITS TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. 

*'My delight is to be with the children of men." — Prov. 
viii. 31. 

IT is our Lord and Saviour, the eternal and 
uncreated Wisdom of the Father, Who 
• • thus speaks to us in Holy Writ. This 
eternal Wisdom has made it His delight to 
dwell with the just in all times. He was with 
the patriarchs, the prophets, and the saints of 
the old law, to enlighten, direct, and conduct 
them in the service of God, and to inspire them 
with a love for supernatural goods. But it is 
especially under the evangelical law that it 
has been given to men to see the wonders of 
God, to possess the divine Wisdom really and 
substantially by the mystery of the Incarnation, 
and to have Him ever present in the blessed 
Eucharist. Yes, even now our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ tells us, " My delight is 
to be with the children of men." In what a 
convincing manner He proves this to us ! This 
temple is His dwelling, just as truly as He 



Visits to the Blessed Sao^ament. 249 

dwelt at Nazareth. He reposes in this taber- 
nacle as He formerly reposed in the crib at 
Bethlehem. This altar is the Calvary on 
which He is mystically immolated every day. 
He is on this earthly throne as glorious and as 
triumphant as He is in heaven at the right 
hand of His Father. Is it not just, on our 
part, that we should delight to be with our 
God, Who has loved us so well? And how? 
By coming here to visit Him with joy, affec- 
tion, and devotion. 

I. With Joy, — Should it not be for us the 
greatest happiness in this world to be able to 
spend our life in God's temple, at the foot of 
His holy altar, in the sweet and amiable 
presence of Jesus our God, our Lord and Mas- 
ter? If the felicity of the elect in heaven is 
to see Him, to love Him, and to possess Him, 
what more can faithful souls desire on earth? 
His presence among us in the sacrament of the 
Eucharist makes our churches holy, even as 
the very gates of paradise ; and therefore it is 
that so many pious souls come to kneel before 
the altar and to find in the adorable Eucharist 
a foretaste of heavenly delight. Instinctively 
they exclaim with St. Peter on Thabor : " Lord, 
it is good for us to be here." They would 
gladly spend the day and the night, aye, even 
their entire life before Jesus in the Blessed 



250 Visits to the Blessed Sacrament. 

Sacrament. Nor would they depart, except to 
enter heaven, there to enjoy the divine pres- 
ence of Jesus, without shadow or veil or mys- 
tery. The condition and necessities of life, 
however, will not permit us to make the 
church our dwelling. The world and the 
affairs of life claim our time and attention and 
call us away from the tabernacle. Yet, since 
our blessed Saviour delights to dwell with 
us, we too should find our happiness in His 
society by coming to visit Him in the sac- 
rament of His love as often as possible. 
Therefore, let us come to Him eagerly, joy- 
fully, not at long intervals, not on festival 
days only, but as often as we can. With what 
patience He awaits us ! With what tenderness 
He invites us ! With what solicitude He en- 
treats us ! Again and again He cries to us : 
" Come to Me, all ye that labor and are bur- 
dened, and I will refresh you." Who is there 
that does not hasten to the physician when he 
is ill ; to his benefactor, when in need ; to his 
consoler, when in affliction? 

2. With affection, — It is love which holds 
Jesus a captive in our tabernacles. We should, 
then, bring to Him in our visits all the affec- 
tion of which we are capable. For us He has 
the words of eternal life, as St. Peter said to 
Him; ''Thou hast the words of eternal life/' 



Visits to the Blessed Sacraiiient. 251 

Do not think that the divine Master remains 
indifferent and silent when you come to give 
Him, in His earthly dwelling, the homage of 
your respect, your love, and your gratitude. 
True, indeed, His voice does not resound in 
your ears, but He knows how to speak to your 
heart in the solitude and silence of the sanctu- 
ary. '' I will lead her into the solitude and 
will speak to her heart." He will speak to 
you affectionately as a father to his son, as a 
friend to a friend. He will speak to you of 
your dearest interests — the price of your im- 
mortal soul, the vanity of earthly things, the 
truth of His doctrines, and the sanctity of His 
precepts. He will tell you that " His yoke 
is sweet and His burden light." If the world 
and its attractions are dangerous for you, if 
the thought of hell is terrifying, He repeats : 
" Have confidence, for I have conquered the 
world." The remembrance of past sins will 
awaken a fear of eternal justice. Again He 
will tell you : '' Have confidence ; thy sins are 
forgiven." Such tender and merciful words 
from the best of friends are indeed calculated 
to fill your heart with sweetest and most con- 
fident affection. This is the sentiment which 
you will experience in the visits which you will 
make to our dear Lord in this sacrament of 
His love. 



252 Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, 

3. With devotion. — I add that in your visits 
to Our Lord you should bring a full and irrev- 
ocable devotion. What takes place between 
two friends who are entirely devoted to each 
other? They will vow a life-long fidelity, and 
are ready to sacrifice themselves for each other 
if necessary. But has not our blessed Saviour 
already done this for each and every one of us ? 
In the Holy Eucharist you have, as St. Thomas 
eloquently declares, the memorial of the pas- 
sion and death of the Saviour. His devotion 
for us has carried Him so far as to make Him- 
self the living Bread of our souls. He com- 
municates to you in this sacrament all His 
virtues, His merits, and all His graces. To 
give you a pledge of the future glory He wishes 
to share with you, He has wished that this 
pledge should be Himself. Behold the devo- 
tion of Jesus! Think of this, and say if you 
can place a limit to j^our devotion. It would 
seem to me that, if a single spark of faith or 
love remains in your heart, you should have 
but a single desire : to frequently come and 
renew to your God, your Saviour, and your 
Master all the promises of fidelity and devo- 
tion which you have ever made to serve Him 
and to procure His glory. His delights are 
to dwell with you ; all your happiness should 
be to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament. 



Frequent Coimnitnion. 253 

He has given Himself entirely to you, and in 
return you should make for Him the sacrifice 
of your soul, your body, your goods, and even 
your life. He wishes to be yours in time : you 
should make the irrevocable vow to belong to 
Him in time and in eternity. 



INSTRUCTION XLVII. 

FREQUENT COMMUNION. 

'' I am the living bread which came down from heaven. " — 
St. John vi. 41. 

THESE sublime words were spoken by our 
blessed Saviour, but the Jews did not 
• • • understand them . They heard Him say 
that He was the true and living bread which 
had come down from heaven, and that He 
would give them His flesh to eat and His 
blood to drink ; but these words only scandal- 
ized them. They exclaimed: "This is a hard 
saying. It is impossible to accept it. How 
can He give us His flesh to eat and His blood to 
drink?'* But our blessed Saviour repeats His 
words, and with all the emphasis of an oath 
declares: "Amen, amen, I say to you, except 
you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and 
drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. 
For My flesh is meat indeed and My blood is 



254 Frequent Conwmnion, 

drink indeed'' (St. John vi. 54, 56). While 
the Jews are scandalized, let us enter into the 
thought and desires of our divine Saviour. 
Since He has wished to become the bread, the 
food of our souls, it is our duty to partake of 
this food and to eat of it frequently. I would, 
therefore, show you the advantages of frequent 
communion for the sinner and for the just. 

I. For sinners. — The frequent participation 
of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour is 
most useful for sinners. You know, of course, 
that there is no question here of those who 
are actually in the state of mortal sin. I speak 
of those sinners who have returned to God, and 
who have been purified by the salutary sacra- 
ment of penance. They were dead to God; 
but they found the life of grace by confession, 
repentance, and absolution. Although num- 
bered among the living, they feel the effects 
of the mortal wounds they have received; 
there still remains in them a kind of weakness. 
To prevent a relapse into sin, oh, how many 
enemies they will have to combat, and how 
many efforts they must make ! Evil passions 
are striving for ascendancy, inveterate habits 
still tyrannize over them, and natural concupis- 
cence has still its old attractions. The world 
still remains with its seductions and bad ex- 
amples; the demon comes with seven spirits 



Frequent Co7tiinunion. 255 

more wicked than himself to take possession of 
the soul from which he has been expelled. In 
the midst of all these dangers, what must the 
converted sinner do? Whither shall he go? 
True, indeed, he will form the strongest 
resolutions; but how shall he keep them? 
Without a superhuman assistance, how can he 
hope to persevere in the practice of virtue? 
This assistance, this strength, is Jesus in the 
Adorable Sacrament. The Church tells us this 
most formally in a decree of the Council of 
Trent. The council tells us that " this Sacra- 
ment of the Eucharist is the most excellent 
antidote, which not only purifies us from our 
daily faults, -but also preserves us from grave 
sins/* The blessed Eucharist is, therefore, 
for the penitent a preservative against relapse. 
The grace attached to this sacrament is for 
him the grace of combating, and the peculiar 
effect of grace, says St. Thomas, is to destroy 
the very root of sin. Grace restrains the pas- 
sions, kills the fire of concupiscence, extin- 
guishes the fiery darts of Satan, and, according 
to St. John Chrysostom, it renders us terrible 
to all the powers of hell. Now, if such are 
the advantages of Communion for the sinner 
who has had the happiness to be born again to 
grace, is it not easy to conclude the need he 
has of approaching the holy table often? 



256 Frequent Co77iiminion. 

Does he not eat every day to preserve health 
and strength of body? Why, then, will he not 
partake of the living bread to preserve the 
health and vigor of his soul ? Every day he 
feels the fires of the passions awakening; then 
every day he should have recourse to that sal- 
utary water which is capable of extinguishing 
them. The cruel enemy of our salvation 
allows himself no repose. Why, then, should 
we neglect to renew our strength in the blood 
of Him Who has conquered the world and 
hell? Frequent Communion, therefore, satis- 
fies all the needs of a sinner. 

2. For the Just. — Frequent Communion is 
not only necessary for sinners, but, I add, it is 
no less useful for the just to approach the holy 
table frequently. The just need to be sus- 
tained in the practice of virtue and to daily 
progress to the point of perfection to which 
God calls them. Christian and faithful souls, 
how many complaints do you make each day 
of the miserable condition of your nature? 
With St. Paul you exclaim: " Unhappy man 
that I am, who w411 deliver me from the body 
of this death?" To-day you form the most 
beautiful designs for the future; you have de- 
termined, once and for all time, to be faith- 
ful, and on the morrow you are wavering, un- 
decided and irresolute. The least obstacles 



Frequent Cominiinion, 257 

will frighten you, and you begin to grow weak 
and fall away. You have need of assistance 
to sustain and encourage you in the weakness 
which threatens you. And now where will 
you find this assistance if not in frequent Com- 
munion ? Why did our blessed Saviour mirac- 
ulously multiply the bread in the desert ? Pre- 
cisely that the multitudes who followed Him 
should not grow faint and fall by the wayside. 
To-day He multiplies the eucharistic bread to 
assuage the sorrows of men and strengthen 
the weary steps of His disciples in their spiri- 
tual journey through life. 

Not only do the just need to be sustained in 
the practice of virtue, but they must daily 
grow in perfection. According to the maxims 
of all the fathers and of all the masters of the 
spiritual life, it is impossible to stand in the 
pathway of perfection. He who will not ad- 
vance must necessarily recede. In the Gospel 
our blessed Lord proposes for his followers 
the perfection of His Heavenly Father. " Be 
ye therefore perfect, as your Heavenly Father 
is perfect." How can the just grow in perfec- 
tion, except by strict imion with Jesus Christ, 
which is nothing else than a participation of 
His body and blood? By Holy Communion 
He lives in us, and we live in Him. vSt. Je- 
rome says that wisdom, strength, charity, 
17 



258 Authority of the Church, 

piety, and all the virtues live in us with Him 
and by Him. 

Such are the motives and the advantages 
which frequent Communion offers to us all. 
Therefore, fortified by this living bread, which 
has come down from heaven for us, may we 
advance in the path of Christian justice, until 
we can truly say with the great Apostle : '' I 
live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me." 



INSTRUCTION XLVIII. 

AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH. 

*'If he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as the 
heathen and the publican." — St. Matt, xviii. 17. 

GOD, in His eternal thought, wished to 
save men by faith in His word and 
• • • submission to His precepts. In His 
paternal providence He has also wished to 
give men an infallible means of arriving at 
their destiny, a guide to enlighten them, and 
all necessary assistance to conduct them to a 
blissful eternity. This is precisely the reason 
for the existence of the Church. The Church 
has been established to continue on earth to 
the end of time the ministry which our blessed 
Saviour began for the redemption and the sane - 
tification of souls. Durinir nmeteen centuries 



Authority of the Church. 259 

the Church has proclaimed the tender and sub- 
lime words of her Founder: ''Come to Me, all 
you that labor and are burdened, and I will 
refresh you." This consoling invitation she 
has always extended to the people, and they 
have turned toward the Church with all the con- 
fidence of children to a true mother. But im- 
piety is ever active, and to-day, as in the past, 
every effort is made to alienate the people from 
the salutary influence of the Church. There- 
fore it seems especially useful, in these disas- 
trous times, to recall to Christians their duties 
toward the Church. The subject of our in- 
struction will be the " Divine Authority of the 
Church, and the Submission due to her Laws." 

I . Divine authority of the Church, — What is 
the Church? The Church is that grand, no- 
ble, and glorious society of the disciples of 
Jesus Christ, spread throughout the universe, 
having the same faith, the same doctrine, the 
same sacraments, the same law, and the same 
future hopes, governed by bishops under the 
authority of a single visible head, who is our 
holy father, the Pope, the successor of St. 
Peter, Prince of the Apostles. 

In every society there is an authority whose 
mission it is to teach and direct and govern. It 
is for this that Jesus Christ has established His 
Church. He has founded the Church on Peter 



2 6o Authority of the Church, 

as on an irremovable rock. " Thoti art Peter, 
and upon this rock I will build My Church, 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
it." This Church is a society, since it is 
founded on a person, who is Peter. This 
society exists to-day, since the gates of hell, 
that is to say, the designs and attacks of 
wicked men, can never prevail against it. Do 
you wish to know the authority of the Church ? 
Then we have only to see what authority was 
given to Peter. Our blessed Saviour said to 
him : *' I will give to thee the keys of the king- 
dom of heaven ; whatsoever you shall bind on 
earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatso- 
ever you loose on earth shall be loosed in 
heaven." Peter, and consequently the pope, 
has the power to bind and loose on earth. To 
bind and loose is nothing else than to make 
the laws, ordinances, precepts, and rules which 
bind consciences or unbind them, according to 
the requirements of persons, places, or cir- 
cumstances. Abundant texts of Holy Script- 
ure attest the sovereign authority of Christ's 
Church. '' He that hears you hears Me, and 
he that despises you despises Me and Him 
that sent Me." Not to hear the pope, not to 
hear the Church, is to despise Jesus Christ, to 
disobey Him, and, therefore, to be wanting in 
respect and submission to God Himself. The 



Authority of the Church. 261 

authority of the Church is universal. There 
is no one , however exalted in dignity he may 
be, who is exempt from its jurisdiction. Our 
blessed Saviour has also said to Peter: " Feed 
My lambs, feed My sheep;" that is to say, con- 
duct, govern, and guide the flock, and each 
one of the flock. This authority is exercised 
by the Church by preserving the teaching of 
Jesus Christ in its purity, and by enacting 
laws ; hence there exists for all the faithful 
the strict obligation of submitting to these 
laws in mind and heart. 

2. Sttb77iission dice to the laws of the Church, — 
To observe the commandments of the Church 
is nothing else than the observance of God's 
commandments. This is true, not only be- 
cause the authority of the Church is the very 
authority of Jesus Christ, but also because 
the precepts of the Church ordain nothing 
which has not been commanded by God Him- 
self. For instance, God commands us to adore 
Him and to sanctify the day reserved for 
Him. And what does the Church do in this 
matter? She regulates the manner of observ- 
ing this twofold precept. ''You must hear 
Mass on Sundays, and all holy-days of obliga- 
tion." Christ our Saviour has given to His 
apostles the power of forgiving sins, and by this 
act He imposed on sinners the obligation of con- 



262 Authority of the Church. 

fessing their sins. But how often and when 
must this precept be fulfilled? The Church 
determines : at least once a year. " If you do 
not eat My flesh and drink My blood, you 
cannot have life in you/' says Christ. Here 
there is an obligation of receiving the body 
and blood of Christ. The Church merely pre- 
scribes the time when the faithful are obliged 
to communicate. God has made a general law 
of penance; the Church fixes the time for 
fasting and abstinence — viz., vigils, Lenten- 
time, etc. Therefore, not to submit to the laws 
of the Church is a clear violation of the laws of 
God. All true Christians should recognize it as 
a duty to be submissive to all the laws, pre- 
scriptions, and ordinances of the Church. We 
can never forget the words of St. Augustine: 
'' He who will not recognize the Church for 
his Mother cannot hope to have God for his 
Father." 

One of the best marks of predestination is 
to love and respect the Church, and to mani- 
fest this love by observing her laws faithfully. 
Moreover, for one who is baptized to criti- 
cise the teaching of the Church, turn it into 
derision, to regard her commands as of no ac- 
count, to neglect Mass on Sundays and festival- 
days, to neglect Confession and Communion, 
and to violate the laws of fasting and absti- 



Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice. 263 

nence, this is to desert the assembly of the 
faithful and to pass over into the ranks of the 
pagans and the publicans. 

Is not this unhappily to-day the position 
of a great number of Christians, who no long- 
er deserve to be regarded as children of the 
Church? As for us, if we remain faithful to 
our holy Mother, and to the assembly of the 
children of the Church on earth, we will sure- 
ly pass to the society of the elect in heaven. 



INSTRUCTION XLIX. 

EXCELLENCE OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE. 

"In every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to 
My name a clean offering." — Malachias i. 11. 

IT is God Himself Who thus speaks by the 
mouth of His prophet. Also, when our 
• • blessed Saviour came up from the Jordan, 
where He had received baptism at the hands 
of St. John, the Heavenly Father was heard 
to say: '' This is My well-beloved Son, hear ye 
Him." The Father regards the Son with eyes 
of tenderness and love ; He looks lovingly on 
the immaculate Victim Whom He sees the 
Church will offer everywhere, in all places, in 
all nations. This pure Victim, this Victim 
without stain, has come to replace the old sac- 



264 Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice. 

rifices, whose price and value consisted in be- 
ing the mere figure of the only sacrifice truly 
worthy of God. This sacrifice is what we call 
the Mass — the holiest action, the most august 
ceremony, the most worthy and advantageous 
work of all religion. 

You will understand the excellence of the 
sacrifice of the Mass by meditating on what it 
is in itself, what it is on the part of the Son 
of God, and what is its relation to us. 

I . The sacrifice of the Mass in itself,^ — Sacrifice 
always has been the supreme act of religion. 
There has been no religion, no worship, with- 
out sacrifice. History proves this conclu- 
sively. But what is sacrifice? The offering 
of something sensible, accompanied by the 
change or destruction of the offering. The 
offering must be made to God by a legitimate 
minister, in acknowledgment and attestation 
of His sovereign dominion over all created 
beings, and particularly over man. Among 
all peoples sacrifices have been offered to the 
Divinity. These sacrifices have been invaria- 
bly sensible things — animals, perfumes, liq- 
uors, fruits of the earth. These have been al- 
ternately the object and material of sacrifice. 
Among certain barbarous people men have 
been immolated to appease the anger of the 
gods, or to obtain their protection. Animals 



Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice. 265 

were slaughtered, perfumes were burned, liq- 
uors were poured out, and the fruits were con- 
sumed by the priests or by the people. By this 
offering and destruction of animals, or of those 
things offered to the Most High, man openly 
confessed that all things came from Him and 
belonged to Him. 

These victims offered in sacrifice also signi- 
fied that man was culpable and merited death ; 
but God in His mercy, wishing to pardon him, 
accepted instead victims, over which He ex- 
ercised the rigor of His justice. Under the 
ancient law sacrifices were numerous. God 
had ordered them, and through the ministry 
of Moses designated the nature and the kind 
of sacrifice, and even the ceremonial to be em- 
ployed. But all these sacrifices were only the 
prophetic figures of the one and true sacrifice 
of the new law, which should replace all others 
to the end of time. This is the sacrifice of 
the Mass. 

Like the Jewish religion, the Christian relig- 
ion also must have a victim to offer to God. 
Being the only true religion, the only perfect 
worship, the only worship worthy of God, its 
sacrifice should be the purest, the most ex- 
cellent that was ever offered to God. The mat- 
ter of the offering, if we can so speak, consists 
simply of bread and wine — the ordinary nour- 



2 66 Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice, 

ishment of man ; but by the omnipotent word 
of God and the ministry of the priest this 
bread and wine are changed into the body and 
blood of Christ. By this transubstantiation 
the real victim, the true victim offered to God, 
is Jesus Christ Himself, the God made Man. 

2. Tlie sacrifice of the Mass on the part of 
J e sits Clirist, — We readily see what makes the 
Mass the sacrifice par excellence. It is the 
renewing, or, if you prefer, it is the continua- 
tion of the oblation which Jesus made of Him- 
self to His Father on the cross. In fact, in 
the holy Mass it is the same priest that was 
on Calvary, Jesus, the Son of God. It is to 
Him that the Father addresses these words : 
'' Thou art a priest forever according to the 
order of Melchisedech." The priest whom 
you see at the altar, clothed in the sacred 
vestments, is only the representative of Jesus 
Christ. It is in His name he acts, in His 
name he speaks: ''This is My body, this is 
My blood." Evidently the priest speaks of 
the body and blood of the Saviour. The only 
difference which exists between the altar and 
the cross is, that on the cross Jesus was im- 
molated in a bloody manner, while on the 
altar He immolates Himself in an unbloody 
manner, by concealing Himself under the 
symbolical species of bread and wine. On 



Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice. 267 

Calvary He was mortal and submitted to death 
really; on the altar He is immortal and His 
death is only mystical. Nor must we conclude 
from this that the Mass is only a simple repre- 
sentation of the sacrifice on the cross. No, 
this doctrine has been formally condemned by 
the Council of Trent. The Mass is a veri- 
table sacrifice, containing all the essentials oi a 
sacrifice. There is the victim, the body and 
blood of Christ ; there is the external, sensible 
offering, the eucharistic species, the bread and 
wine; there is the legitimate minister, the 
priest, specially consecrated for this duty ; and 
the change or destruction of the victim by 
communion. In fine, this victim is offered to 
God alone in recognition of His sovereign do- 
minion over all creatures. 

In the sacrifice of the Mass Jesus Christ is 
the priest and the victim. He is the greatest, 
the most precious victim, worthy of God, since 
Christ is God, equal to His Father in all things. 
He is the most holy and perfect victim, since 
He is sanctity itself and eternal perfection. 
He is a victim of infinite price and value, 
capable of redeeming millions and millions of 
worlds, and capable also of giving to God in- 
finitely more glory than all that men could 
ever take from Him. 

3. The holy sacrifice with regard to us, — With 



268 Ends for luhich the Holy Sacrifice is Offered, 

regard to us, the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the 
greatest and the most meritorious work which 
we can offer to God to worship Him publicly 
or privately. In fact, in the Mass Jesus sub- 
stitutes Himself in our place, and presents 
Himself to His Father for us. He prays for 
us, offers Himself for us, and communicates 
to us all the merits of His incarnation, His 
life, His passion, and His death. But He 
does this on the condition that we also inti- 
mately unite ourselves to Him as far as our 
poor, weak nature w^ill allow. Then, united to 
Jesus Christ in the adorable sacrifice of the 
altar, we shall be united to Him one day in 
His glory. 



INSTRUCTION L 



ENDS FOR WHICH THE HOLY SACRIFICE IS 
OFFERED. 

"He was offered because it was His own will." — Isaias 
liii. 7. 

THE holy sacrifice of the Mass is the offer- 
ing which Jesus Himself has made of 
• • • His body and blood to God His Father. 
On His part this offering is free, spontaneous, 
and absolutely voluntary, even as the prophet 
has said : " He was offered because it was 
his own will." What, then, is this mys- 



Ends for which the Holy Sacrifice is Offered. 269 

tery? Why is the Man-God not content with 
abasing Himself and assuming the infirmi- 
ties and miseries of our nature? Why does 
He renew, constantly, the sacrifice which He 
once made on Calvary? Let us strive to medi- 
tate on the adorable intentions of our blessed 
Saviour in the institution of the holy Mass. 
The ends which He proposed are that there 
should always be in His Church the sacrifice 
of praise, to honor God, a sacrifice of propitia- 
tion, to appease the anger of God, and a sacri- 
fice of impetration, to ask and obtain graces 
from God. 

I . Sacrifice ofi praise, — \7e should honor God 
and glorify Him as our Sovereign Lord. We 
owe to Him thanksgiving for all the bless- 
ings which we have received from His mercy. 
Poor and contemptible creatures as we are, 
worms of the earth in revolt against God, dis- 
honored and stained by sin, how can we dare 
to appear before Sanctity itself and offer to 
Him our adoration and homage? Jesus has 
had pity on our misery and our un worthiness. 
He has come to take our place, and presents 
Himself before the majesty of His Father. 
On seeing Him God cannot turn away His 
face from us, and when covered by the Son, 
Who is like to the Father in all things, we can 
present ourselves at the altar. But even 



270 Ends for which the Holy Sacrifice is Offered. 

when at the altar we offer to Him our goods 
and our life, and make to Him the avowal of 
our dependence, and render the homage which 
we owe to Him, nothing we can do will be 
worthy of God. But Jesus in the holy sacrifice 
supplies for our indigence, and He renders to 
God the most suitable adoration and homage, 
because He Who offers them is equal and con- 
substantial to the Father. We should assist, 
therefore, at the holy Mass in a spirit of sacri- 
fice, and unite ourselves to our blessed Saviour 
to glorify w^ith Him the divine majesty on 
Whom we depend for all things. Our best 
models here are the Virgin Mother and the 
beloved disciple at the foot of the cross. 

Since we have received from the infinite 
goodness of God countless blessings, it is just 
that there should be in the Church a sacrifice 
of thanksgiving. Such is the sacrifice of our 
altars. Before the act of consecrating the 
body and blood of Christ the priest makes 
us understand this well. He sings: "Let 
us give thanks to the Lord our God," and 
the people respond: ''It is right and just.'* 
From God w^e have everything in the order of 
nature, of grace, and of glory. While we are 
of ourselves incapable of repaying the least of 
these blessings, still we have in Jesus Christ 
a sacrifice which in value surpasses all we 



Ends for wJiicJi the Holy Scwrificc is Offered. 271 

have received or could receive from the divine 
liberality. '' He Who has not spared His own 
Son, but delivered Him up for us, has He not 
given us all things with Him? " This was the 
reasoning of St. Paul. True, indeed, we are 
indebted to God for everything ; but when we 
present Him His Son do we not repay Him 
everything? Hence^ how great should be our 
gratitude ! This thought is well calculated to 
fill our minds and hearts when we assist at the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass. In return for my 
infinite blessings, O my God, I offer Thee, 
through Jesus Christ, infinite thanksgivings I 

2. Sacrifice of propitiation, — The sacrifice of 
the Mass is a sacrifice of propitiation. On Cal- 
vary Jesus Christ offered Himself to His Father 
for the expiation of our sins. On the altar Our 
Saviour renews the sacrifice of the cross, in an 
unbloody manner, it is true, but for the same 
motive and w4th the same efficacy: ''As often 
as you w411 eat of this bread and drink of 
this chalice you will renew the death of the 
Lord.'* What does the apostle mean by these 
words? Not only will you recall the memory 
of this death, but you will renew it, and the 
merit will be applied to you. On the altar, as 
on the cross, Jesus is the Victim of propitia- 
tion for our sins. We should assist at the 
sacrifice of the Mass in the same dispositions 



272 Ends for width the Holy Sacrifice is Offered. 

which the publican had in going to the temple. 
He was a sinner, he w^as humble, he struck his 
breast, saying: "Be merciful to me, O Lord!" 
This august sacrifice is also offered for the 
dead. Its virtue and its merits extend even 
to the souls in purgatory. What m^ore easy 
or pow^erful means can we have to exercise 
charity toward our parents or friends who ask 
our prayers to God ior consolation and assist- 
ance? 

3. Sacrifice of ivipctration — Whatever the 
Church asks of God, it is through the merits 
of Jesus Christ she asks and obtains her 
petitions. Therefore it is that the prayers of 
the Church terminate in these w^ords, '' Through 
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and 
reigns eternally wdth Thee." Where, then, 
can the Church employ the merits and the 
mediation of Jesus more efficaciously than at 
the altar, where He is personally present as 
victim? "In the days of His mortal life," 
says St. Paul, " He was heard for the rever- 
ence w^hich w^as due Him." Is He less worthy 
in the blessed Eucharist of the same regard 
for His divinity? And when, in His twofold 
character of priest and victim, He interests 
Himself for us and prays for us, may we 
not reasonably hope to receive every bless- 
ing, particularly w^hen the graces we ask 



Assisting at Mass. 273 

through His intercession are according to the 
wishes and the mind of God? What we 
should ask for above all is the sanctification 
and salvation of our soul. After vSpiritual 
favors we may also ask for temporal bless- 
ings. St. Paul, w^riting to his disciple Timothy, 
says : '' I desire that supplications, prayers, 
and intercession be made for all men, for 
kings and for all who are in high stations, 
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life.'' 
Moreover, the Church in her liturgy has par- 
ticular prayers to offer to God in the holy sac- 
rifice for all that relates to our present life. 
We should assist at Mass by uniting ourselves 
with Jesus and the Church, to honor God, to 
pray for the pardon of our sins, and ask for 
all blessings for time and eternity. 



INSTRUCTION LI. 

ASSISTING AT MASS. 
** Do this for a commemoration of Me. " — St. Luke xxii. ig. 

IN these words we readily recognize the 
precept which our blessed Saviour gave 
• • to His apostles. He commanded them to 
do just what they had seen Him do. And 

what had He done which He so expressly 
18 



2 74 Assisting at Mass. 

commanded? Our blessed Saviour was tak- 
ing His last repast with His disciples. Taking 
the bread and wine, He changed them into 
His body and blood, and, after having given 
them their first Communion, He said to them: 
" Do this for a commemoration of Me." Then 
it was that the apostles received the power to 
offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass — that is to 
say, to consecrate the body and blood of Jesus, 
and distribute them to the faithful, even as 
Jesus Himself had done. But if the apostles 
and their successors, to the end of time, have 
the mission of offering the holy sacrifice, by 
that command our blessed Saviour has en- 
joined on the faithful the duty of participat- 
ing in the divine sacrifice, and of assisting at 
Mass. It is of this particular obligation that 
I would speak to you to-day. 

I . Should you assist at Mass ? — That all the 
faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and children 
of His Church are rigorously bound to assist at 
Mass, is a teaching most solidly established. 
As a creature endowed with intelligence and 
reason, man should honor God and offer to 
Him homage, respect, love, and gratitude. 
We can say religion is the bond which binds 
man with God. Now the holy Mass is the 
supreme act of religion — the most holy, the 
most august, and the most perfect, indeed we 



Assisting at Mass. 275 

may add, the most necessary act. The reason 
is evident, for v/ithout sacrifice there is no 
religion and no true worship rendered to God. 
The Christian, then, as a man is obliged to 
assist at Mass and to participate in it if he 
would acquit himself of this most essential 
duty of religion. 

A true disciple of Jesus Christ hears the 
word of his Master and makes His divine 
teachings the rule of his conduct. Now, when 
our blessed vSaviour instituted the adorable 
sacrament, and when He commanded His 
disciples to do what He Himself had done — - 
that is, to change the bread into His body 
and the wine into His blood — He also com- 
manded all the faithful to assist at this divine 
function in which this great mystery is wrought. 
It is evident that the apostles must celebrate the 
holy sacrifice, not only for themselves, but for 
all the faithful. The obligation of assisting at 
Mass is correlative to that of communicating. 
Has not our divine Saviour most formally de- 
clared that if we did not eat His flesh and 
drink His blood, we could not have life in us? 
Unless a man will condemn himself to spiritual 
death, he must eat the flesh and drink the 
blood of the Son of God. But the divine ban- 
quet is prepared onl}^ at the Mass, and it is 
necessary to assist at ]\Iass to participate in the 



276 Assisting at Mass. 

eucharistic sacrifice. Thus the Church, speak- 
ing in the name of Jesus Christ, Whom she 
represents, and from Whom she has received 
all authority, promulgates a most explicit com- 
mand to all the faithful : " You must hear 
Mass on Sundays and holy-days of obligation." 
The mission of the Church is to render to God 
public and social worship, and she regards 
every Christian as a member of Catholic soci- 
ety. God is as truly the author of society as 
He is the creator of each individual member 
of society, and public worship is due to Him 
as is private and particular worship. By all 
these titles assistance at Mass is for all an 
indispensable obligation. 

2 . Wlicn should you assist at Mass ? — All the 
faithful who have attained the use of reason 
are obliged, under pain of mortal sin, to hear 
Mass on Sundays and the festivals of precept. 
God Himself has commanded the sanctification 
of the Sunday. The duty essentially pre- 
scribed by the Church on Sunday is assisting 
at the holy sacrifice. The Mass is also a duty 
of obligation for the festivals of obligation. 
Grave and solid reasons can alone exempt 
from sin if you neglect Mass on Sundays or 
festival-days of obligation. The care of the 
sick or of little children, duties of charity, or 
of imperious necessity can legitimately dis- 



Assisting at Mass. 277 

pense from assisting at Mass. But how many 
are there who acquire the habit of neglecting 
Mass for slight reasons or for vain pretexts? 
And what shall we say of those Catholics who 
assist at Mass only from time to time, on the 
great feasts or on the occasion of a marriage or 
a funeral? They are Catholics only in name. 
They are rebellious against the law of the 
Church, and they merit only to be regarded as 
heathens and publicans. 

3. How sJioitld yoit assist at Mass ? — The obli- 
gation of hearing Mass supposes the obliga- 
tion of assisting properly — that is to say, zvith 
respect and attention. The place in which the 
holy mysteries are held is not a profane place, 
in which careless conduct may be tolerated. 
We should appear in the presence of Jesus and 
in His temple with fear and trembling. At 
the time He is about to descend on the altar, 
there to be immolated and to obtain grace for 
us, our attention should be wholly given to 
the mystery which is being accomplished. 
The majority of Christians who assist at Mass 
are not accustomed to meditate daily ; they 
should, therefore, employ some means to sus- 
tain their attention during the holy sacrifice. 
A prayer-book may be used to advantage to 
follow the priest carefully during the time of 
Mass, and at the different stages of the sacri- 



278 Assisting at Mass. 

fice. We should strive to fill our hearts with 
the various sentiments which the w^ords ex- 
press. For those who cannot, or w^ho know 
not how to read, there is the rosary or beads 
or other prayers. These methods of assisting 
at Mass will hold the attention fixed on the 
great mystery, and will prevent distraction of 
the mind more or less voluntary. 

Our divine Saviour immolates and offers Him- 
self on the altar to adore His Father, to thank 
Him for His gifts, to satisfy His justice for 
the sins of men, and to obtain from His bounty 
the necessary graces for all. Such should be 
your dispositions while assisting at the holy 
sacrifice. Endeavor to experience these same 
sentiments of the adorable Victim of the altar. 
Who, at the price of His precious blood, se- 
cures your eternal salvation. If you will unite 
with Jesus in His sacrifice, you w^ill merit to 
be united to Him in His triumph. 



Perseverance, 279 

INSTRUCTION LII. 

PERSEVERA^XE. 

"He that shall persevere unto to the end, he shall be 
saved." — St. Matt. x. 22. 

IF at this moment I were allowed to inter- 
rogate you — you who have had the happi- 
• • ness of being reconciled with God — I w^ould 
ask, What is now the most ardent desire of your 
heart? I am sure you would respond with 
the prophet : " One thing I have asked of the 
Lord, that I ma)^ dwell in the house of the Lord 
all the days of my life." You are now happily 
free from the heavy weight of your sins ; you 
are liberated from the shameful bondage of 
Satan; God's peace and grace have taken pos- 
session of your hearts. You have become the 
living members and brethren of Jesus Christ. 
The angels in heaven rejoice at your conver- 
sion. The Church, your Mother, participates 
in your joy, while you yourselves now taste 
one of the sweetest consolations of your life. 
What can you now desire if not to persevere 
in this happy state? Our blessed Lord Him- 
self tells us that perseverance is absolutely 
necessary. We will propose three important 
questions, and their solution will be the sub- 



2 8 o Perseverance. 

ject-matter of our instruction. Should you 
persevere ? Do you wish to persevere ? Can 
you persevere? 

I . Should you persevere ? — Unquestionably 
you must persevere, since it is an absolute 
necessity. Of what use would it be to take 
the right direction if you will not continue in 
it to the end of your journey? If a traveller 
should set out for some distant city, would he 
reach his destination after having taken a few 
steps only? St. Paul compares us to those who 
formerly contended for the prize at the games. 
He said: '' All indeed run, but one only carries 
off the palm of victory; run, therefore, that 
you may obtain it." 

What are w^e, considered as Christians? We 
are soldiers engaged under the standard of 
Jesus Christ. But on the field of battle, to 
whom is the cross of honor given? Is it to 
the cowards, the idlers, or the deserters? Not 
at all, but to those who combat nobly and per- 
severingly until the defeat of the enemy has 
been accomplished. Hence St. Paul says that 
in the arena the athlete will not be crowned 
who has not fought valiantly. 

Not only are we soldiers of Christ, but we 
are also His servants. He will be our Master 
always. He does not change with regard to 
us, neither in His authority. His teaching. His 



Pe?'severa?7ce. 281 

commandments, His threats, nor His prom- 
ises. Jesus always preserves over us His 
rights as Creator, Redeemer, and Sovereign 
Judge. We belong to Him in time, we will 
belong to Him in eternity. Not one iota 
will be retrenched from His doctrine or 
His Gospel. His commandments will never 
suffer reform or modification. It will always 
be sinful to violate them. It will always be 
true that there is a hell for the condemned 
who will have heard the anathema, ''Depart 
from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." It 
will always be true that there are eternal rec- 
ompenses in heaven for all who have remained 
faithful to Jesus Christ. These truths, the 
meditation of which has converted you, will 
never change. Why should you change ? You 
should, then, persevere. 

2. Do you zuish to persevere? — Certainly you 
do, since your dearest interests require your 
perseverance. Your honor is at stake. You 
have sworn fidelity to God. While receiving 
absolution for your faults you have said that 
you would rather die than offend God mortally. 
You must be faithful, or you will be perjurers. 
" I have sworn and determined to keep the 
judgments of Thy justice." Your liberty is 
also at stake. Would you wish to submit again 
to the yoke of the demon and the world and 



282 Perseverance. 

their cruel and humiliating tyranny? Would 
you wish to become again the slaves of sin and 
of passions, most unworthy of a Christian? 
Your happiness is at stake. What have been 
the happiest days of your life, if not those days 
when you have tasted the sweets of peace — 
those days you have passed in the grace and 
friendship of God? You have found those 
happy days, and it only depends on you to 
preserve them by your fidelity. When the 
invalid has been restored to health, how 
careful he is not to lose it again ! When the 
captive is liberated from prison, how^ dearly 
he prizes his liberty ! Your greatest interests 
are involved in your perseverance. When we 
speak of perseverance, of what is there ques- 
tion? There is question of preserving your 
spiritual wealth, and all the treasures you have 
amassed for eternal life. All that you have 
done in a state of grace will be meritorious for 
eternal reward, even a cup of cold water given 
in the name of Jesus. It is also to your inter- 
est to augment your merits by the multiplica- 
tion of your good works, prayers, alms, fasting, 
charitable acts toward your neighbor; these 
are so many acts worthy of eternal glory if 
they are accomplished in a state of grace. For 
the same reason that you wish for happiness 
you should also wish for perseverance. 



Perseverance. 283 

3. Can yoit persevere ? — Certainly you can per- 
severe, since it depends only on yourself to em- 
ploy the means. And what are these means? 
The first of all is prayer. Perseverance is 
indeed the greatest and the most precious of all 
graces; but God grants it, as all others, only to 
those who ask it with, humility and confidence : 
" Ask and it shall be given to you." The sec- 
ond means is the frequentation of the sacra- 
ments of penance and the Eucharist. Often 
take counsel of him whom God has appointed 
the guide of your soul, and you will not be 
exposed to wander from the right road . Nour- 
ish yourself often with the bread of the strong, 
and you will not become weak in the presence 
of your enemies. A third means is to watch 
constantly lest you may be surprised, and fly 
from all dangerous occasions. He who does 
not wish to be cast headlong will avoid the 
brink of the abyss. Apply yourself to the 
practice of good works. The care and sacri- 
fices they will require of you will protect you 
against the deceits of the world and the snares 
of your passions. To be assured of the grace 
of perseverance, add a tender devotion to the 
Blessed Virgin. What a happiness I feel to" 
tell you, w^ith St. Bernard, that " a true servant 
of Mary will never perish. " She is the Mother 
of Jesus, and has all power over His heart. 



284 Per^evera nee. 

vShe is our Mother, and there is nothing she 
will ask for more ardently for her children 
than the grace to persevere. Be devoted to 
this good and compassionate Mother, and she 
will conduct you safely to the gate of eternal 
salvation. 



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